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Rick Steves’ Travel Blog

Here you can browse through my blog posts prior to February 2022. Currently I'm sharing my travel experiences, candid opinions, and what's on my mind solely on my Facebook page. — Rick

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Orvieto’s Sistine-like Chapel of San Brizio

Orvieto Cathedral’s Chapel of San Brizio is one of the most jaw-dropping pieces of art you’ll see in Italy. Painted by Luca Signorelli (who inspired Michelangelo), it’s a twisted and vivid look at the psyche of the late 1400s. It’s so fun to be updating my guidebook to Italy with a good local guide (David Tordi helped me in Orvieto). I slipped in a busy day of research in Orvieto after saying good-bye to our film crew in Assisi and before reporting for guidebook duty in Florence. And I’m glad I did. I love Orvieto.

 

This is Day 21 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Romania, and beyond. Find more at blog.ricksteves.com.

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Deep in the Heart of Orvieto

While it gets plenty of tourists, Orvieto (two hours north of Rome) is a town whose historic and artistic importance is underappreciated. Orvieto was a thriving Etruscan city centuries before Christ. The Romans had it under siege for two years before defeating it. Since Romans didn’t need to bother with hill-town defenses, the city lay in ruins for 700 years until Rome fell. Due to the chaos that came with the power vacuum left by the fall of Rome (rampaging barbarians chasing the meek out of the valleys), hill towns were once again in vogue. So medieval Orvieto was born on the ruins of the Etruscan city that once capped its hilltop. Today, the entire bluff is honeycombed with Etruscan caves and exploring them is fascinating. Here’s a quick look at a very old and very deep well — one of many such 2,500-year-old sights in Orvieto.

 

This is Day 20 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Romania, and beyond. Find more at blog.ricksteves.com.

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Visiting Oz with the Wizard of Orvieto

A fun stop in Orvieto, just two blocks from the cathedral, is Giuseppe Rosella’s Il Mago di Oz (Wizard of Oz) shop. Like eccentric artisans all over Europe, he has a one-track mind and enjoys the challenge of getting visitors into it. With a little touch and a wave of the hand, anyone can turn on and off his trippy little wonderland. Readers of my guidebooks are sure to connect with such characters wherever they travel. Why? Because I like them.

 

This is Day 19 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Romania, and beyond. Find more at blog.ricksteves.com.

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Alone with Giotto and the Bones of St. Francis

This morning, before Assisi’s Basilica of St. Francis was open to the public, we met Friar Daniel, who took us inside to be all alone with some of the greatest art of the late 13th century. It’s tough to distill the history and theology of St. Francis into a TV show — so while we filmed the walls, Friar Daniel thoughtfully reviewed my narration in the script. We clarified some points that confuse many American travelers: Franciscans are friars. To call St. Francis a monk is technically wrong. Monks are committed to a life of solitude (it’s just them and God) in a monastery. The word “friar” comes from the Latin word for “brother” — their calling is to be with the people as brothers. And they stay in a convent. Convents are not just for women, and monasteries are not just for men. Like the words “convene” and “monologue,” whose roots they share, they are all about if you are social or solitary. I got my script fine-tuned with our wonderful Franciscan friar’s help. And as I do every time I enjoy the guidance of Franciscan friars, I left inspired by their gentle and loving approach to life. In a hyphenated word…they are Christ-like.

This is Day 18 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Romania, and beyond. Find more at blog.ricksteves.com.