3.02.2010

Underground City of Orvieto

So, I'm trying something new with the photo situation. Because my internet situation is so precarious, and uploading pictures takes up the majority of my time and bandwidth, I am creating a Picasa album (with captions) to go along with every post I write. Of course, if something truly astonishing strikes me and I happen to snap a photo of it, I will still post it on here with accompanying commentary. But from now on--as soon as I finish inserting photos in the Orvieto post--I will be including links to my public Google Album.

Click here to see photos of Orvieto!

The underground city, compared to how awesome the rest of Orvieto was, turned out to be a total letdown. I mean, it really sucked. It was just like every native American cave you've gone into, with coarse-hewn walls, old quarries, garbage pits and wells, broken pottery and pigeon coops. Because that's basically what the Etruscans are: an ancient native population (although native to Tuscany, not Umbria) that was marginalized, disenfranchised, all but wiped out by the new invading culture--in this case, the Romans. To a Californian, or to any American, the story is all too familiar, although a little more interesting because we don't know everything about the mysterious Etruscans, who supposedly had a written language, etc. etc.

I am going to sound really jaded, but compared to the Mayans, honestly, the Etruscans are a little--ok, a lot--booooring.

AND WE DIDN'T EVEN SEE ST. PETER'S WELL.

This underground city was the only thing that marred my perfect day in Orvieto. Thanks a lot, you jerk of an underground city.

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