Municipality of Orte
Lat. 42.45839 Long. 12.38151
P.zza del Plebiscito, 1
01028 Orte (VT) Italy
Tel. ++39 07614041
(70,19 square km with 7820 inhabitants: Ortani)
The historic centre is inhabited by many people. It has a compact structure with elliptic plan, which fits in perfectly with the shape of the hill on which the
village rises, situated at 134 metres above sea-level, on a spur of tufaceous origin. It is possible to see the hamlet from far off as it towers above
the valley of the Tiber. Thanks to its geographic position it is an important railway and motorway junction at national level . There are documents that
date back actually to the prehistory and testify the presence of some populations in these areas. Orte was for a long time an Etruscan dominion,
thanks to its strategic position it became a flourishing municipium, centre of numerous trades, with the near Rome. It suffered the barbarian invasions
and later it came into the ChurchÕs possession. In 1798 it was occupied by the French troops, that imposed heavy taxes. In 1800 the French left
this area and Orte began a slow process of recovery, after a serious famine.
PLACES TO VISIT
The basilica cathedral of. St. Maria Assunta
The ancient basilica cathedral of St. Maria Assunta was the grandest monument in the town. According to Leoncini, it was built following the shapes
of St Peter in Rome, modelled on the ancient Constantinian basilica.
St. Peter
The church of St. Peter rose near the fortress and in 1431 it had the same destiny as the fortress and it was necessary to rebuild it. The new structure dates
back to the first half of the 15th century. Successive restorations in the 17th and in the 18th century gave it the present shape.
St. Blaise
The church of Romanesque origin, is today elegant and particular. In 1754 a terrible fire destroyed it and only the external walls remained intact. Later, in 1757 it was rebuilt. It is particularly interesting to visit the internal nave.
St. Angelo
The crypt of St. Angelo was discovered in 1981 and it is in the present church of St. Francis . The church is of evident Romanesque style with some reference to the Gothic. The crypt was filled up with filling material when in 1695 the upper part of the church was pulled down to build on it the present Baroque edifice.
