Places: Discover Churches, Museums and Thermal Baths

Orte combines archaeological evidence, sacred art, medieval alleyways, thermal waters and traditional events. This provides a place to plan your trip where culture, local history and regional specialities can be explored in different ways.

Museums and Sacred Art

The Museo Civico Archeologico is housed in the former Church of Sant’Antonio. Its sections focus on Etruscan, Roman and early medieval history. The Museo delle Confraternite Riunite di Orte is located in the large sacristy of the Church of Santa Croce. There you can see religious objects used on Good Friday during the “Processione del Cristo Morto”. The museum also includes a 1626 bier, a processional platform for the Addolorata, two 18th-century lanterns and a 16th-century painting of Sant’Egidio Abate.

The Museo Diocesano e d’Arte Sacra is housed in the Romanesque Church of San Silvestro. The single-nave building dates from the middle of the 11th century, while the bell tower dates from the middle of the 12th century. The collection includes gold-ground panels from the 12th to the 16th century, as well as paintings, silverware and sacred vestments. The Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta also reflects several periods: it was founded in the 9th century and acquired its present Baroque appearance through the last renovation in 1721. Its furnishings include an 18th-century organ, a monumental 17th-century altar containing the relics of its patron saints, and an altarpiece created by Giuseppe Bottani in 1752.

Alleyways, Squares and Historic Buildings

The Church of San Biagio is of Romanesque origin and dates from 1253; the Cross of Lorraine is located above its entrance. In the Contrada di San Biagio, narrow, steep alleyways, weathered houses and connecting arches preserve the character of a medieval quarter. Near the beginning of a staircase, Piazza Pietra Lata preserves a Roman stone funerary relief set into the façade of a house.

The Fontana Ipogea was carved out of tuff in Roman times. It marks the endpoint of the ancient aqueduct and was Orte’s public water source for centuries. The present form of the Acquedotto Rinascimentale was created through renovation work in the 16th century, which filled in the Arco di Porticata, a vaulted passage of the ancient Via Amerina.

The Santuario della Santissima Trinità is carved into the tuff and preserves frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries. It stands on the hill opposite the town of Orte, which was once sanctified by the presence of hermits; San Bernardino lived there in a cave in 1426. In Seripola, archaeological evidence of a river port on the Tiber, the ancient CASTELLUM AMERINUM, has been preserved. The port was used continuously from the 1st century BC to the 12th–13th century AD.

The Palazzo Alberti alla Rocca was built between 1598 and 1602 by the Orte branch of the Alberti family. Its piano nobile contains an elegant hall with fresco cycles from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Thermal Baths and Events

The Terme di Orte use natural sulphur-rich waters that emerge at a temperature of 30°C. The complex includes two large swimming pools and a landscaped park with oak and conifer trees. Alongside the churches, museums and historic streets, this provides a distinct focus for planning your trip.

The traditional Ottava di Sant’Egidio event takes place from 31 August to the second Sunday in September and includes medieval games, theatre and music. The final day is dedicated to the Palio degli Arcieri, in which the town’s contrade compete against one another. You can therefore choose accommodation or a hotel in Orte to suit your cultural interests, a visit to the thermal baths or this event period, without mixing up the different themes of your trip.

Local Specialities and Getting There

At a tasting of Carciofo di Orte, the local artichoke is served in traditional recipes from the town. The “Orte in Cantina” event includes tastings of local gastronomic and oenological specialities on the last Sunday in November and the first Sunday in December.

From Rome or Florence, Orte can be reached via the A1 motorway, exit 33 Orte, and then via the SS204. By train, you can travel from Rome to Orte via the Rome–Florence or Rome–Ancona railway lines; from Florence, the Rome–Florence railway line leads there. These two travel options provide a clear framework when planning your stay and the location of your accommodation in Orte.

More Places for Planning Your Trip

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To the higher-level travel overview: Viterbo.

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