Rates per vehicle for this excursion:
sedan (1/4 persons) 650 €;
minivan (4 persons) 670 €.
minivan (5/6 persons) 700 €;
minivan (7/8 persons) 730 €.

Driving times:
Civitavecchia to Tuscania: 30'

Tuscania to Montefiascone: 15'

Montefiascone to Civita: 15'

Civita to Orvieto: 20'

Orvieto to Civitavecchia: 1 h

An excursion off the beaten path. If you have already visited Rome and you want to see something different. Or if you simply want to have some relaxing time in the country, away from the crowded touristy areas. We will drive through the countryside north of Rome, mainly the area called Tuscia (name deriving from Etruscan) and some of Umbria (name deriving from umbra=shade), the shady heart of Italy. The tour I suggest includes Orvieto (1 hour from Civitavecchia) and other charming little towns on the way to Orvieto and on the way back from there. Those towns are Tuscania, Montefiascone, Orvieto and

Civita di Bagnoregio. It is and itinerary I have done several times before and people always enjoyed it very much. After leaving Civitavecchia at about 8:30 a.m. we make the first stop in Tuscania. Founded by the Etruscan, it became a Roman colony in the 3rd Century b.c. and it appears today as a charming little medieval town. Unfortunately it was badly damage by an earthquake in 1971 and they haven't finished refurbishing the old buildings yet. Going there on a Saturday or a Sunday you may run into some Italian or German tourists, but if you go there any other day of the week you feel like the city is yours!

We can also use the local coffee shop for facilities and buy a drink from them just to return the courtesy. Continuing towards Orvieto we stop briefly at the town of Montefiascone, another town founded originally by the Etruscans. Built right on top of a hill overlooking the lake Bolsena about 1800 ft a. s. l. it appears today as a really charming medieval town. We will stop there shortly just to admire the view from the hilltop, but we might end up finding the time to wander around the typical streets for a little while. Montefiascone is known also for its production of white wine which they call "Est! Est!! Est!!!" (meaning it is! it is!! it is!!!). They say it was named that after the German traveler Defuk who, not speaking Italian but only a few words in Latin used that exclamation to show his appreciation for the local wine. He ended up dying in Montefiascone and he's buried in the local church of St. Flaviano. He died from drinking too much of that wine they say... Another place we will visit before arriving to Orvieto is Civita di Bagnoregio. This charming little town was also founded by the Etruscans around 2500 years ago on top of a hill formed by "tufah" stone.

The area must have been really different in those days. The natural erosion and earthquakes have in fact changed the town a lot less space on top of the hill than it originally had. In 1794 one of those earthquakes destroyed the sort of natural bridge that linked Civita to the bigger nearby town of Bagnoregio. The natural erosion hasn't stopped and the sides of the hill keep crumbling down and therefore they call Civita "the dying city". It really is a place to see!We will approach Orvieto, the largest of the towns in our itinerary, from the West and it will appear to us from the distance sitting on its plateau formed by the volcanic

"tufah" stone. A great view!  We should be arriving there around 1:00 pm. Time for lunch! The people here have their main meal in the middle of the day after which they like to nap. Shops in fact don't re-open any earlier than 3/4:00 pm. It's the famous Italian tradition of the "siesta".You can choose between a light lunch at the wine shop on the main square (weather permitting you can eat outside) and some local cuisine in a typical restaurant housed in the caves that the people of Orvieto dug in the tufah stone underneath the city.

After lunch you'll have the time to visit the magnificent Cathedral, one on the most beautiful in Italy. After visiting the church you can stroll down Orvieto's quaint narrow streets crammed with colorful shops selling beautiful ceramics. Orvieto produces one of the most famous Italian white wines and the wine shop on the square offers the opportunity to taste some of the local wines and to eat some of the prosciutto, salame and cheeses locally produced. They will also let us visit the cellar which, as it was commonly done in Orvieto in the old days, was dug in the stone underneath the building. As an alternative and time permitting, you might want to have a more substantial meal and taste some of the region's renowned outstanding foods at a proper restaurant.