2025 Volendam, Civitavecchia, Italy...

It was exciting to be back in Civitavecchia again and to be touring with one of our favorites…  We took the port shuttle to the gate and met our friend Susanna and off we went to explore Tuscany and Umbria. Our first stop was to see a section of the Roman Road in Bolsena just outside of Viterbo. The ancient Via Cassia joined Rome to Florence by passing through the center of Bolsena. It was amazing to see how the roads are still intact and modern-day pilgrims are still traveling on them to Rome. We stopped and toured the Basilica and Catacombs of Santa Cristina. The basilica actually consists of three adjoining churches from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The catacombs existed at the time of the Romans. Next, we stopped in Bolsena to see the Monaldeschi Castle and walked around visiting the narrow streets and alleyways. I climbed up the tower at the Fort taking in the great views of Lake Bolsena. On our way to Orvieto we drove through the lovely Tuscan countryside. Crossing into Umbria we arrived at Orvieto. Orvieto is built on top of a massive volcanic rock hill, offering dramatic views of the surrounding Umbria plains.  We walked along the cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways taking in this stunning well preserved medieval city. Many streets and alleys are decorated with wooden cravings from the studio of Bottega Michelangeli. The stunning cathedral or Duomo di Orvieto was a major highlight. Orvieto truly is something else! The city is built on almost vertical cliffs and boasts one of the most elaborate facades and series of frescoes of any cathedral in Italy. In addition to all this, the city is almost 3,000 years old and is indeed one of the most historically rich cities you can imagine visiting. We missed this gem on our last visit to Italy and were pleased to be able to spend the time today. It rained heavily on our return drive to Civitavecchia but I was able to capture a shot of Bagnoregi in the distance…Bagnoregi is known as the dying city perched on a volcanic plateau. On our last visit, I hiked up to see the city first hand.  On our way back to the ship Susanna made our stop at the Etruscan Ferentium Theatre outside of Viterbo…this theatre was built between 12 and 17BC…Besides the amphitheater, the archaeological area also features the remains of public baths and Roman roads. It was another great day with Susanna showing us Italy’s off the beaten track hidden gems. Great day!!!  Tomorrow, we are in Naples and will visit, once again, the Amalfi Coast…