This post originally appeared on the Slow Travel Tours blog in September, 2022.

Travel through time when you visit Orvieto.  The town is medieval, with cobblestone streets, but you can literally see the passage of time when you visit the Church of Sant’Andrea.  

This Romanesque church was built in the 11th-12th century over the ruins of an Etruscan temple. It is the first church built in Orvieto.  Just inside the entrance of the church, you can go through the wrought-iron gate which leads down to the crypt.

Francesco, a local archeologist, leads a tour through the crypt. Upon entering the crypt, the first thing you see is sections of a mosaic floor from the 6th century.

If that weren’t impressive enough, look BELOW the mosaic floor to see remains dating back through four different evolutionary periods.  Ceramics from the Villanovan period, 9th century BC, make up the bottom layer. Some pieces are on display in a local museum. Much of what is unearthed tells of the Etruscan period from the 6th century, BC.

You can see how the roads were laid out, where wells and drainage were built, and even the floor of a house.

Evidence of previous temples, even the grounds of a Byzantine baptismal font and sarcophagus all tell the story of the past.  Imagine yourself here as you travel through time back to the age of the Etruscans.

The church of Sant’Andrea is a marvel of history!