Situated in less than two hours drive, Orvieto was an important Etruscan City-State. Orvieto has a unique history that dates back to over several million years ago. The origin of the Orvieto rock is most likely due to an ancient volcanic eruption. It is believed that today’s rock, where the city of Orvieto stands today, is one of these great masses of tufa rock flung from the large crater that is now the Bolsena Lake. The Etruscans inhabited Orvieto until the III Century BC, and consequently the Romans invaded it. It took the Romans two years to conquer Orvieto, which is a natural fortress, surrounded by cliffs. The Etruscans had dug an intricate web of caves and numerous wells, in order to defend Orvieto for a long time. In addition, to being known for its high quality cuisine (ie truffles), the city boasts an incredible Gothic Cathedral with a frescoed " Last Judgment ”to rival Michelangelo's one, a labyrinth of ancient underground and St. Patrick's Well.

In 1527 during the “Sack of Rome” the then Pope Clement VII took refuge in Orvieto. He commissioned Antonio da Sangallo the Younger in the construction of the well to serve as the water supply in case of siege The design of Sangallo, who already worked on the fortification of the city, was inspired by the spiral of the Belvedere in the Vatican . He created an ingenious system of two spiral staircases that never meet. They create a way to get in and out of the well (about 53 meters deep) without any traffic problems. Today it is a real pleasure to descend to its depths along the more than two hundred steps.