Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Orvieto 2

Nice bench















Umbrian and Tuscan towns are often divided traditionally into
quarters, each with their own emblems, identities, etc.















In an old palazzo, now an apartment buidling I think















Umbrian countryside















Cat, dog, and kid--always an entertaining combination















View from the ramparts















Orvieto's great well and cistern; for a few euros you can walk
down and back up the 200 steps















A Train of Great Velocity (as the French call it) bullets toward
Rome















The camper-stop was sandwiched between not one but two sets
of tracks, the Trains of Great Velocity and the Trains of Not So
Great Velocity; although I was prepared with my earplugs, they
seemed not to run through the night; maybe there was a strike...

















Us at Orvieto, taken by a couple from Lewiston, ID,
practically neighbors

Orvieto 1

Initially we were drawn to Orvieto for the great wine. We did buy a few bottles of the classico. But there was much else of interest in this old hill town. The Duomo, with its great reliefs and Signorelli frescoes will require its own posts.
Orvieto on approach, the great cathedral to the right, the city
center in the, um, center; we found the camper-stop at the
train station below the city and took the funicular up to it
















These sorts of scenes everywhere



















Ditto



















Towers everywhere



















13th century municipal building, still in use















Alleys like this all over, with buttresses and
arches between them




















Pasta in the shapes of Italy's great monuments; at olive oil
tastings, we quickly figured out, you get free wine and bread and
cheese and olive spreads, and olive oil, too
















The big clock tower



















Vicki in the big main piazza

Etruscan Tombs Near Sutri

From Tivoli we headed north into Umbria. In this region and in Tuscany one sees Etruscan things, mostly tombs dug into the volcanic tufa that is everywhere. We stopped at a conveniently located complex near the small town of Sutri for a look.
Thus















And thus; throughout the region, over the centuries, the locals have generally 
used these for storage units, farm implements, broken down vehicles, placing 
garage doors into them
















A bonus at Sutri is this first century amphitheater built well after the Romans 
took over; what is remarkable is that it is entirely dug out of the tufa, rather 
than built up from it
















Contemporary Sutri from the amfiteatro















Meanwhile, more tombs; the Etruscans did some fine filigree, but apart from 
building tombs, I don't think they did much else
















RV-sized tomb

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Villa d'Este: The Gardens

The gardens, however, are the main attraction, very compact, terraced down the steep hill, with numerous water features.
Nice initial fountain















Another



















Several hundred feet of another terrace



















The organ fountain; the organ powered originally by water;
as in ancient times















Looking westerly toward Rome















Impressive garden scenery



















Roses everywhere















Looking back from the belvedere















Dead wood/live wood



















An Artemis fountain



















The dragon fountain















And, of course, the founding of Rome fountain

Villa d'Este: The Interiors

The 16th century Villa d'Este is right in town, overlooking the lands to the west below. It was created for Cardinal d'Este, one of the papal families. Apparently, even then, there were some loop-holes in the vow of poverty.
Courtyard of the Villa















Nice frescoes throughout















The whole thing built over a Roman villa, of course















Illusional ceiling with stubby columns















Other illusionist effects; effective too















And a nod to classical Roman art















It's a big place, three floors of rooms



















Staircase, mostly for servants, and tourists, I guess















Lizst lived here in 1884, so his rooms are a nice museum; and
there are concerts in the summer

Tivoli

Our campsite at the Piazzale del Cimiteri; the Piazzale del
Bus Stazione was on the other side of the intersection















Why we didn't stay at the designated camper-stop: it became
the market on Wednesday morning















Local Renaissance castle; closed for repairs















Looking north-west from Tivoli















Hill-towns dot the horizon; some hills are just towns















Looking west to Rome and Tiburtina, and nearly continuous
development















Including some of the largest quarries (travertine) I have ever
seen















And, immediately below, a ruined mini-Pantheon