Orvieto

Set atop a gigantic plug of rock above fields streaked with vines, olive groves and cypress trees, Orvieto is one of Umbria’s star attractions. Its austere medieval centre is a classic of its kind, with weaving lanes, brown stone houses and cobbled piazzas, and its location between Rome and Florence ensures a constant stream of visitors. But what sets the town apart from its medieval neighbours is its breathtaking cathedral. This extraordinary vision, one of Italy's greatest Gothic churches, is stunning inside and out, with a sensational facade and frescoes that are said by some to rival Michelangelo's in the Sistine Chapel.