시비텔라 달리아노‬에서 가장 멋진 ‪10‬개의 동굴

A beautiful park located right next to St. Patrick's Well, offering a stunning view. Just before the entrance, on the right, there's also a beautiful War Memorial.

Don't miss a visit

Guardea Vecchia is the ancient fortified nucleus of the municipality of Guardea, located in Umbria, on a hill at 572 meters above sea level. The village, one of the oldest in the region, extends for about 8,000 square meters and still retains, albeit in part, its perimeter walls and the original defensive structures, including the central keep and eight towers (six quadrangular and two semicircular). The origins of Guardea Vecchia probably date back to the 9th century, when, following the barbarian incursions, the local population moved from the plain to the hill for safety reasons. The toponym "Guardea" derives from the Germanic *warda*, which means "guard" or "lookout", testifying to the strategic function of the site, which dominated the Tiber valley and the communication routes between Etruria and the province of Terni. In the Middle Ages, Guardea Vecchia was an important military and fiscal control point: here the local lords, such as the Alviano, collected taxes and tolls. Over the centuries, the village passed under the control of various families and powers, including the Uffreduzzi counts, the Alviano, the Monaldeschi della Cervara and, later, the Marsciano. In the sixteenth century, with Bartolomeo d’Alviano, Guardea reached its maximum splendor. Starting from the seventeenth century, the inhabitants began to move further down the valley, where the current center of Guardea arose. The castle and the fortified village were progressively abandoned, also due to political and judicial events that led to the transfer of ownership between various noble families. In the twentieth century, after a long legal dispute, the Municipality managed to free the lands from feudal constraints, definitively freeing the community from ancient servitudes.

Fundamental attraction of historical and cultural value, located at the entrance to the city. It can be visited completely free of charge. Inside there is a public municipal garden. The latter requires some maintenance work. Four stars for the views that the fortress walls offer. Here I found the CAI headquarters of Orvieto

Past the old monastery you will arrive at the old borgo. The elevated old village has been depopulated since the 19th century and has become a real ruin due to erosion and earthquakes. In 1951 it was completely abandoned. Only the old market square and the castle are accessible, the old houses are completely dilapidated and overgrown with plants over the years. The Orsini castle at the entrance of Celleno antico is the most beautiful building in the borgo. It has a large watchtower and the castle is surrounded by a deep moat. It was recently restored and inhabited by the artist Enrico Castellani. This artist was internationally known (he also studied in Brussels) and died on 1 December 2017. On the old market square you can see a beautiful rectangular bell tower, in 3 layers and made of tuff. Only the walls of the old church San Carlo (17th century), left of the castle, remain. Close to the market square is the church of San Donato from the year 1000 in Romanesque style, with a very beautiful portal in basalt stone.

Recent archaeological discoveries have confirmed the Etruscan origins (4th-3rd centuries BC) of Celleno Vecchio, a settlement that enjoyed a great position, i.e. the ancient communication route between Orvieto, Bagnoregio and Ferento. Ancient sources provide evidence that this medieval settlement is one of the fortified villages built by the Counts of Bagnoregio between the 10th and 11th centuries. At that time, the village must have consisted of a number of dwellings at the end of the tuff, protected by cliffs on three sides, surrounded by walls and a small fortress, which is now the Orsini Castle, to protect the only access route. At the end of the 12th century, after the destruction of Ferento, the municipality of Viterbo began a rapid expansion in the Tiber Valley, also acquiring Celleno, which in 1237 was one of the castles of the Viterbo area governed by a Podest (high official) appointed by the local government. At the end of the 14th century, the city center fell into the hands of the Gatti family, one of the most powerful families in Viterbo. During this period, the medieval fortress was completely renovated and converted into a fortified stately home that can still be seen today. The Gatti family ruled Celleno until the last heir, Giovanni Gatti, who was killed on the orders of Pope Alexander VI (Borgia) for refusing to return the castle. At the beginning of the 16th century, the municipality fell into the hands of the Orsini family. Interestingly, the castle still bears the name of this family. Only towards the end of the 16th century was the church able to incorporate Celleno into its possessions until the unification of Italy. In modern times, Celleno Vecchio was often affected by earthquakes and landslides, until it was finally abandoned in the 1930s. Today it is a small, charming and evocative ghost village, characterized by ruins and vegetation, with beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.

Great view of the surrounding area and the steep flanks of Orvieto, which is built on a tuff plateau.

Unfortunately, the view over the eastern part of the city is not that great - it is better to go to the western side of the city wall.