Where to eat, drink, and shop in Italys charming hill town of Orvieto.

Under street level, Orvieto becomes even more enigmatic.

The family also runs a bar and trattoria, gift shop, and ceramics studio.

Pozzo dalla Cava in Orvieto

Courtesy of Pozzo dalla Cava

And visitors can easily get a taste of that.

That, for him, is what makes Orvieto unique, both to residents and visitors.

“Yes, tourism is our life,” he says, “but we alsolivehere.”

Beautiful view of the old town of Orvieto, Umbria, Italy.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

That same hominess permeates Orvieto, says Manca, and tourists notice.

In a big city, you live and die and no one notices."

But not in Orvieto, he says.

L’Orvietan products

Lamberto Bernardini

“We are a tourist center, but we’re essentially a village.”

Bernardini says that for Orvietani, the city’s history is practically part of their DNA.

“We’re high on a rock, like a protected island.

For Orvieto tourist information in English, check theOrvietoVivawebsite.

Writer and editorElizabeth Heathcovers travel, wellness, and lifestyle from her home in central Italy.