Visiting Orvieto Cathedral: 10 Things to Know Before You Go
There’s more to Orvieto Cathedral than meets the eye. A miracle, three centuries of construction and a fresco cycle that shaped the Sistine Chapel are all bound up in this one facade.
To make the most of visiting Orvieto Cathedral, here are ten facts that turn it from a striking building into a compelling story.
1. It was built to house a miracle
In 1263, a Bohemian priest called Peter of Prague doubted the Catholic teaching that bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ during Mass. While celebrating Mass at Bolsena, a town near Orvieto, blood began seeping from the consecrated host onto the altar cloth.
His faith restored, Peter carried the cloth to Pope Urban IV in Orvieto. The Pope declared it a miracle and commissioned the cathedral to house the relic.
The cloth now sits in the Chapel of the Corporal, reached through a separate door. Frescoes by Ugolino di Prete Ilario line its walls, painted between 1357 and 1363 and depicting the history of the Eucharist. As this chapel is reserved for private prayer, I didn’t take photographs inside it.
2. It took 300 years to build
Pope Nicholas IV laid the cornerstone in 1290. Arnolfo di Cambio, the architect behind the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, one of Florence’s most famous landmarks, began the design in the Romanesque style.
Twenty years later, Lorenzo Maitani of Siena reworked it into an Italian Gothic cathedral. Several more architects added their touches, including Andrea Pisano and Michele Sanmicheli. The facade wasn’t finished until 1617.
Local stone runs through the whole building. Tufa forms its foundations. Its side walls alternate travertine and basalt. Red marble from Sosselvole and white marble from Carrara cover the facade.
3. Its facade earned it the name ‘Golden Lily of Cathedrals’
Lorenzo Maitani’s Gothic facade resembles a giant medieval altarpiece, decorated with Technicolor mosaics and lacy tracery, and topped with slender spires.
The carved pillars at its base read like a stone Bible: Creation, the Tree of Jesse, New Testament scenes and the Last Judgement. Bronze symbols of the four Evangelists crown each pillar.
Look out too for the modern bronze doors by Sicilian sculptor Emilio Greco. More of his work sits in the gallery beside the cathedral.
4. The interior plays a trick on your eyes
Step inside and the mood changes completely. Where the facade dazzles, the interior is dim and plain, lit through alabaster windows.
It looks huge, but that’s an illusion. Zebra-striped columns and arcaded side chapels stretch the space visually, making it seem longer than it really is.
5. Eighteen statues line the nave
Marble apostles stand along the striped columns. They were removed during restoration work in 1897 and only returned to the cathedral in 2019.
6. Don’t miss the Cappella di San Brizio
The Capella della Madonna di San Brizio is decorated with one of the finest fresco cycles of the Italian Renaissance.
Fra Angelico started the work in 1447, helped by Benozzo Gozzoli. He finished only one scene, Christ in Judgement, before Rome called him away.
Perugino took over next but never delivered. Luca Signorelli finally completed it in 1499, following Fra Angelico’s original design.
It’s considered Signorelli’s masterpiece. In the Resurrection of the Bodies, angels sound trumpets as the dead rise from the ground.
Below this is a moving Pietà, the emotion on the faces of the two Marys plain to see.
On the opposite wall, the Sermon of the Antichrist shows the impostor forgetting his lines mid-speech, prompted by the Devil at his side. Look too for Signorelli’s self-portrait, tucked into a corner in black beside Fra Angelico.
7. A marble floor patch marks the Counter-Reformation
During the Counter-Reformation, the altar was moved back to allow the congregation to sit closer to the cathedral’s stained glass and frescoes. These had been designed as a visual representation of the glory of Heaven to wow the commoners, powerful propaganda for the Catholic church at that difficult time.
A patch on the marble floor marks the spot where the altar originally stood.
8. Look for the Pietà by Ippolito Scalza
Carved from a single block of marble in 1579, this Pietà shows Mary cradling Jesus’s body. Scalza, a local sculptor, took his inspiration from Michelangelo’s version in Rome. Just look at the drapery and the way the two figures form one shape.
9. Find the Madonna and Child before you leave
Near the exit hangs a small fresco, the Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels, painted in 1425 by Gentile da Fabriano.
10. Duomo di Orvieto is home to a 15th century organ
Above the entrance of the Chapel of the Corporal is the cathedral’s organ. Originally designed by Ippolito Scalza and Bernardino Benvenuti in the 15th century, it is said to contain 5,585 pipes.
But who’s counting?
Visiting Orvieto Cathedral: Practical information
Address: Piazza del Duomo, 26, 05018 Orvieto
Getting there: the funicular from Orvieto train station drops you a short walk from the cathedral.
Opening hours: Check the seasonal opening hours on the cathedral’s website.
Admission fee: €8 in 2026. Includes an audioguide. Covered by the Orvieto City Card (Orvieto Carta Unica), which also gives you free admission to these seven sites:
- Labirinto di Adriano
- Faina Etruscan Museum
- Necropolis of the Crocifisso del Tufo
- Orvieto Underground
- Well of the Cava
- St. Patrick’s Well
- Torre del Moro
Like any city pass, you will need to do the maths, based on what you plan to visit in Orvieto. But maxing out this card saved me €14 in admission fees.
Enjoy your visit
That’s the story behind the stonework. For more on the town itself:
- Best Things to Do in Orvieto on a Day Trip from Rome
- Is the Orvieto Card Worth It?
- Wine Tasting in Orvieto, Italy: 8 Fabulous Winery Tours
Buon viaggio!
By Bridget
Bridget Coleman is an award-winning travel blogger who is an incurable Italy addict and has travelled its length & breadth on multiple occasions. Find out more here.
To get in touch, email her at hello@flashpackingitaly.com