Your full-day excursion to Assisi and Orvieto begins when you’re met at your hotel in Rome and head out of the city on a drive through north Lazio and Umbria. Along the way you’ll admire the landscapes that change from the rolling hills of Tuscia to the forested mountains of Umbria, known as the green heart of Italy. Your first stop is Assisi, the city of St. Francis that was built from local stone. In spite of the disastrous earthquake that devastated it years ago, Assisi still appears to be a perfectly preserved medieval Umbrian town, and one of the most charming. Experience the enchantment on a walk through its streets, and feel the mystical atmosphere unique to this place. Visit the major churches and enjoy lunch at a spot favored by locals. From Assisi you’ll drive past Perugia towards Deruta, known as the city of ceramics. It’s possible to stop here to browse some of the shops offering local artistic products. When you reach Orvieto you’ll visit the famous Gothic cathedral and a typical wine cellar dug out of the tufo stone underneath the buildings. Orvieto is built on top of a plateau of tufo stone, which also provided the raw material for the town's buildings, including the massive Duomo. Orvieto's cathedral, the Duomo, is considered one of the most beautiful in Italy and its façade, entirely decorated by a gold mosaic, is impressive!