Orvieto

Because of its site on a high, steep bluff, Orvietto was virtually impregnable. After the collapse of the Roman Empire the city was held by Goths and by Lombards before its self-governing commune was established in the 10th century. Orvieto's relationship to the papacy has been a close one. By the thirteenth century, three papal palaces had been built. Orvieto controlled the road between Florence and Rome. It was a large town with a population of about 30,000 at the end of the 13th century.

Orvieto's silhouette seen from a distance