Orvieto as It Was... and Is

"There once was a city perched on a rock." Like a contemporary fairy tale, thus begins the delightfully detailed personal journey "Orvieto As It Was....And Is" by Erika Pauli Bizzarri. More than an author, Bizzarri is a living encyclopedia of Orvieto, her home for more than 60 of her 90 years. Richly textured and illustrated, the book combines Erika's personal history as life and work partner to legendary archaeologist Mario Bizzarri with warm and witty tales of this iconic Umbrian town's daily bread. Festivals, feasts and family life are intertwined with a walking tour that takes in all of Orvieto's world-renowned treasures: The Renaissance Duomo, St. Patrick's Well, the Etruscan Necropoli, the Faina Museum, the Tower of the Moor and historic sites from antiquity through the era of the Romans, Papal States and World War II. Known for her energetic walking that has not slowed down, Erika writes as she strolls: with eyes always open for a loving detail that reveals the soul of the town, and more importantly its people. Catholics, Cathars and characters nefarious and noble amble through the pages at a leisurely pace, as if you were discovering them with Erika on one her jaunts. Charming sections on Orvieto's important holidays and traditions such as the Corteo, Befana and Palombella spill out like a story among friends, sitting with a cappuccino or a glass of Orvieto Classico at a table along the Corso. Without exaggeration, this is the definitive book of Orvieto: a must read for first-time visitors and a cherished memory for longtime Orvietani.