Holiday apartment in Orte among culture, thermal baths and festivals

Orte combines impressive religious buildings, museums featuring Etruscan and Roman artefacts, medieval townscapes, thermal waters and vibrant traditions. If you are planning a holiday apartment in Orte, you can tailor your stay around culture, relaxation, festivals and regional flavours.

Holiday apartment in Orte for culture and history

The Museo Civico Archeologico is housed in the former Church of Sant’Antonio and displays Etruscan, Roman and early medieval sections. The Museo delle Confraternite Riunite di Orte is located in the large sacristy of the Church of Santa Croce. On display are religious objects used on Good Friday during the “Processione del Cristo Morto”. The museum also includes a bier dating from 1626, 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 mid-11th century, while the bell tower dates from the mid-12th century. The museum preserves gold-ground panels from the 12th to the 16th century, as well as paintings, silverware and sacred vestments. 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.

The Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta was founded in the 9th century and acquired its present Baroque appearance through the final 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. The Chiesa di San Biagio is Romanesque in origin and dates from 1253; the Lorraine Cross is located above its entrance.

The historic details of the townscape also deserve attention: the Fontana Ipogea was carved out of the tuff in Roman times, marks the endpoint of the ancient aqueduct and served as 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. In the Contrada di San Biagio, narrow, sloping lanes, weathered houses and connecting arches preserve the character of a medieval district. Near the start of a staircase, Piazza Pietra Lata preserves a Roman stone funerary relief set into the façade of a house.

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. In Seripola, archaeological evidence of a river port on the Tiber has been preserved: the ancient CASTELLUM AMERINUM, which was used continuously from the 1st century BC to the 12th–13th century AD.

Thermal baths, festivals and regional specialities

The Terme di Orte use natural sulphurous waters that emerge at a temperature of 30°C. Two large swimming pools and a well-equipped park with oak and conifer trees complement the facilities. 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.

At a tasting of the Carciofo di Orte, the local artichoke is served in traditional recipes from the town. “Orte in Cantina” includes tastings of local gastronomic and oenological specialities on the last Sunday in November and the first Sunday in December. This makes it possible to combine cultural discoveries, relaxing hours and regional cuisine in a range of different travel ideas.

Getting to Orte and further destination ideas

From Rome or Florence, you can reach Orte via the A1 motorway, exit 33 Orte and then the SS204. By train, Orte can be reached from Rome via the Rome–Florence or Rome–Ancona railway lines, and from Florence via the Rome–Florence railway line. You can take these options into account when planning your holiday apartment in Orte, alongside your personal interests in history, thermal baths, events and cuisine.

If you would like to compare more destinations, also discover Arlena Di Castro, Canepina, Punta Del Lago, Colle Farnese and Pescia Romana.

For the higher-level travel overview: Viterbo.

More about the destination

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