Papal Rest Stop

Whenever the medieval popes traveled north of Rome, they would stop at the papal palace in Orvieto. Because this was the boss’s favorite home away from home, the church here received more than its share of attention and funding. Not only was it a rest-stop for the popes, it was our rest-stop as well on our journey from Abruzzi to San Gimignano. This is the only example of Italian Gothic architecture still remaining. Perched atop a volcanic plug, Orvieto occupies the high ground. The mountain around it has eroded, so the town covers the top of a basalt cylinder that rises a thousand feet above the surrounding terrain. The only way to assault this fortress is with a helicopter, and these were in short supply in the 1200’s. The popes felt safe here.

Though the cathedral here is neither as large nor as flowery as St. Peter’s in Rome, in some ways I like this church better. Glittering golden mosaics on the facade dazzle the eyes in the afternoon sun. The stiff archaic characters painted on its interior walls speak of a faith that transcends time. Each panel tells the story of part of the Bible, and they do it with such graphic simplicity that one cannot miss the story. Adam sleeps as God removes a rib from his side to make woman. Noah rides over the waves in a huge boat. Peter is crucified upside down. Their message is unmistakable.

It is a Sunday, and when we walked into the church we saw a Catholic praise-and-worship service in progress. All of the frescoes were illuminated. And they were glorious. A chapel contains the church’s major relic, a tablecloth said to be stained with the blood of Christ that once miraculously dripped from a communion wafer. This event is said to show that the communion elements are the real body of Christ. Okay. I won’t argue the point. This miracle, however, gave rise to a holy day called the Feast of Corpus Christi and to the name of a wonderful city in Texas.

After leaving the church we wandered through this lovely, ancient town. We bought a pizza and a glass of wine just for the memory. I expect that the memory of Orvieto will be with me for a long time. Like it’s biblical images, it’s hard to forget Orvieto.Read more