View of Orvieto with its cliffs and cathedral

ORVIETO

Retreat participants will live and work in the walled hill town of Orvieto, which sits on a spectacular butte of volcanic rock that rises 1,000 feet from the valley floor. Long before the ancient Romans conquered central Italy, Orvieto was one of the twelve federated cities of the Etruscan league. During medieval times Orvieto acquired wealth as an independent city state, and in the Renaissance, control passed to the Popes, many of whom used Orvieto as an official residence. Orvieto is famous for its gorgeous gothic Duomo, Saint Patrick’s Well, Etruscan underground city, and wines. In the long summer evenings, daytrippers disperse, and you’ll have enchanting medieval streets almost to yourself.

Lodging Options

Orvieto has many lodging options. You should make sure to stay in the city’s medieval center. Do NOT stay in nearby places like Orvieto Scalo, Sferracavallo, Ciconia, or Gabelletta. While these are all part of Orvieto’s comune (municipality), they are frazioni (outlying areas) and not walkable from the town center. We strongly suggest consulting with us before finalizing any booking.

We recommend reviewing the available choices on AirBnB, where you can often find better rates and a greater variety of accommodations than in the local hotels. CLICK HERE for search results for Centro Storico Orvieto (historic center Orvieto), and enter your dates to refine options. Within the historic center, be aware that the Cava neighborhood (the area around Via della Cava at the west end) is lower than the rest of the town, and thus requires uphill walking. Be sure to check for amenities like air conditioning or a washing machine.

If you would like to stay in a hotel, there are many options available on Expedia and Booking.com, which include those listed below. Sometimes you can obtain better rates by booking directly with the hotel. As we do not have direct experience of many available choices, we recommend reviewing each in detail and drawing your own conclusions. Please be advised that many 3-star hotels in Italy can seem like 2-star hotels to the American traveler.

Please note that we have not yet confirmed the 2027 location for our group workshop sessions; it will likely be on the eastern end of town, but we may choose a more central option. In any event Orvieto is very walkable, measuring just under a mile at its maximum width from east to west, and no more than one-third of a mile from north to south.

Most Affordable Options:

  • Monastero San Lodovico (guesthouse). A former convent and the location of many past PageCraft programs, located on Piazza de’ Ranieri on the southwestern edge of town. Listed under “guesthouses” on Booking.com.
  • Istituto San Salvatore (guesthouse). Another convent that now hosts travelers, smaller than San Lodovico, located just off Piazza del Capitano del Popolo in the center of town. Listed under “guesthouses” on Booking.com.
  • Hotel Posta (2 stars). In the center of town one block from both Via Duomo and Corso Cavour.
  • Be sure to check AirBnB as it tends to have many options in this budget range.

Mid-Range Options:

  • Hotel Corso (3 stars). In the eastern part of town on Corso Cavour, the main thoroughfare.
  • Hotel Virgilio (3 stars). Right on Piazza Duomo (the cathedral square).
  • Orvieto Hotel Duomo (3 stars). Just off Piazza Duomo (the cathedral square). If the hotel’s official site is not working, you can also find them on Booking.Com.
  • Hotel Valentino (3 stars). In the eastern part of town, off Piazza Angelo da Orvieto.
  • Hotel Filippeschi (3 stars). Located on the west end of town, near Piazza della Repubblica. Note that the official site appears to be down and the hotel doesn’t appear to be taking reservations on Booking.com. Check back often as this may change.

Higher End Options:

  • Hotel Palazzo Piccolomini (4 stars). In the southwest part of town, on Piazza de’ Ranieri.
  • Grand Hotel Italia (4 stars). In the center of town, near Piazza del Capitano del Popolo.
  • Emme Palace Hotel and Spa (4 stars). Orvieto’s newest addition, in the western part of town, near Piazza della Repubblica.
  • Palazzo Misciattelli (5 stars). Luxury residences on the southern edge of town, not far from San Lodovico. If the official site isn’t working, try them on Booking.com.
  • Palazzo Petrvs (5 stars). A high-end full-service luxury hotel in the center of town, on Via Duomo.

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