Reflections of an Artist

Tuscany

Orvieto Cathedral

The Best View in the World












Leaving Orvieto












Herd of Sheep Crossing the Road at Dusk












Room with a View












Seeing Pitigliano for the First Time
















Enchanting Streets of Pitigliano











The Fortress Walls of Pitigliano












Bell Tower in Sovana












Sovana












Sunset on Pitigliano

Leaving Rome, we took a small diversion and stopped at Orvieto where the cathedral shoots skyward above the city. It was a quick stop and we didn't have time to see everything but we did find the Best View Ever from a nearby park that overlooks a patchwork of orchards and vineyards with a castle smack in the middle. It was such a perfect scene I felt I was in the movie The Truman Show and it had been painted.

Approaching the town near our villa, we ran into a herd of sheep being sent home for the night. As they walked across the road, I could feel the mood of Tuscany. Slow, earthy and relaxed. The next morning when we got up I opened the shutters and patio doors. We had a room with a view.

I had not planned the days excursions in Tuscany, but the night before I found a little town from the guide book that sounded wonderful. Sometimes it is nice to be surprised and Pitigliano was an amazing surprise.

The city is built on high cliffs on three sides with a narrow entrance. The first view of the town took my breath away as it seems to grow out of the rock. We were not disappointed within its walls. The streets were charming and every step revealed another enchanting view of narrow walkways and stairs.

We drove to a nearby small village, Sovana, to see its less imposing fort and town square. Along the road we found one of many caves that the Etruscans carved called Via Cava. They may have been roads that are 30 feet deep but no one really knows why the Etruscans carved these ancient deep pathways.   As we retraced our route we watched the sun set on Pitigliano. WOW!