Orvieto, Umbria

Last weekend for Labour Day we drove 120Km to Orvieto which is just north of Rome in Umbria, known as Tuscany's little sister.
Orvieto is on a hill top like most small cities in Umbria. It is a fairly small town with one spectacular Cathedral far too big for such a small place. The story goes that in 1290 there was a miracle in the town next door. The priest saying Mass at consecration dropped the host unto the cloth on the Altar, the host bled real blood said to be that of the Savior. Needless to say the story reached Rome and the Pope in no time at all. The bishop of Orvieto was most anxious to see this Altar Cloth for himself. So he arranged to have the cloth brought to his church in Orvieto and invited the Pope at the same time to come up for a visit. So the Pope came with Cardinals and all the Court of the Vatican to see this miracle of the said real blood of Christ. While the Pope was examining the Altar Cloth and the blood stains, the Bishop suggested to the Holy Father that a Cathedral should be built in Orvieto as a shrine for this miraculous cloth.

The Pope none the wiser that the cloth actually belonged to another church in another town agreed. By doing so he started a pilgrimage industry in Orvieto which continued for centuries into the Renaissance period. So Orvieto got to keep the Altar Cloth and for 300 years a new Cathedral lavishly decorated was constructed to house this precious relic. You can see it today in the side Chapel. The Church itself has wonderful fresco paintings illustrating the scenes of the last judgement and other biblical passages relating to the childhood and life of Christ. Orvieto also has great wines, truffles and cheeses and other fine buildings and it is a beautiful town to visit. From a distance the Cathedral with its coloured mosaic front stands out as you approach the city. Today tourists come to Orvieto for the architecture and the beauty of this small town and it's great church art. The blood stain cloth is still displayed above the altar but I could not help thinking that it did not mean much to us today in this cynical world compared to the days of old in the Middle-Ages.