This itinerary begins in the historic centre, where visitors can admire the Archaeological Area of the Temple of Belvedere. This Etruscan sanctuary, dating back to the 5th century BC, retains massive foundations and has yielded important finds, including architectural terracottas now housed in local museums.
Although the identity of the deity worshiped here remains unknown, the discovery of a cup inscribed with the name “Tinia”—the Etruscan counterpart of the Roman Jupiter—suggests the temple may have been dedicated to the father of the Etruscan gods.

On the scenic Piazza Duomo, three must-see museums hold archaeological treasures that reveal the sophistication of the Etruscan civilization:

• Claudio Faina Museum: one of the richest collections of Attic black- and red-figure ceramics, as well as Etruscan coins and jewelry.
   
• National Archaeological Museum: home to funerary items from Orvieto's necropolises and artefacts from the Fanum Voltumnae, the federal sanctuary of the Etruscans.


• Civic Museum: houses Etruscan inscriptions and stone materials that tell the story of everyday life and religious practices in Velzna.

This underground labyrinth holds an ancient Etruscan legacy, carved tunnel by tunnel into the tuff. The first hypogean spaces were dug by the Etruscans to access water resources, which were lacking at the top of the Orvieto cliff.

Along the Orvieto Underground itinerary, you'll find a large pozzolana quarry, a dense network of cisterns—some dating back to the 5th century BC—and a 30-meter-long tunnel, also dug by the Etruscans: a feat of engineering that ensured the city's water self-sufficiency.

From Piazza Duomo, continue along Via della Cava, where the remains of an imposing Etruscan wall structure emerge. The route leads to the Pozzo della Cava, a hydraulic structure carved into the tuff, flanked by a rectangular shaft that allowed descent. This hypogean complex, yet another testament to the Etruscans’ engineering skill, features niches carved into the rock, used to store clay for a medieval kiln. It is likely all that remains of a rock-cut necropolis dating back to the early phase of Etruscan occupation in the city.

A true underground city, Adriano’s Labyrinth is named after its complex maze-like structure, consisting of wells, tunnels, and underground chambers. It was discovered in the 1970s during renovation works on Adriano and Rita’s historic pastry shop.
Covering over 400 square meters across multiple levels, the labyrinth includes a dense network of hypogean chambers from different eras—the oldest dating to the Etruscan period, likely used to collect rainwater or store grain.

To learn even more about the Etruscans, head just outside the city centre to the southwestern slopes, where you'll find the Necropolis of Crocifisso del Tufo—one of the area’s most fascinating sites.
Dating from the 6th to 3rd centuries BC, this “city of the dead” features a surprisingly modern urban layout, with tombs arranged in blocks separated by orthogonal roads. The inscriptions on the tuff blocks sealing the tombs reveal the names of aristocratic families buried here.

Located on the southern slope of the city within the Orvieto Archaeological Park (PAO), the Necropolis and Sanctuary of Cannicella  were active from the 6th to 4th centuries BC. The sanctuary was likely dedicated to a female deity, possibly a local version of Uni (the Etruscan equivalent of Hera).
The discovery of the famous terracotta statue known as the “Venus of Cannicella” suggests a fertility cult linked to the protection of the community.

To further explore the Etruscan world, the surrounding area of Orvieto offers several must-see sites:

• Fanum Voltumnae: likely the federal sanctuary of the Etruscan Dodecapolis mentioned in Latin sources, where the twelve city-states held annual meetings. Recent excavations have revealed temple structures, votive offerings, and inscriptions confirming the site’s political and religious importance.
• Necropolises of Vallone and Caldane: located in Montecchio and Castel Viscardo, respectively, these burial sites preserve rock-cut tombs.
• Tomb of the Hescanas: unique in its kind, this tomb in Porano features painted walls depicting banquets and funerary rituals.