Orvieto 613

As it turns out, there are recipes for so-called “drunk” chicken dishes from all over the world. China has multiple regional variations as does Italy. In fact, in Italy, many different regions and towns try to claim the dish and its origins as their own. As the case often is with such things, the true origins have long since been lost. The dish has been claimed by Friuli Venezia Guilia, Trieste, Padua, Umbria and Tuscany but, no matter the region, it is cooked in a very similar way with the same ingredients – chicken cut into pieces, red wine and carrot, celery, onion, garlic and parsley. The only difference being that the wine used needs to be from their region with Sangiovese or Chianti used in Tuscany and Orvieto or Montefalco used in Umbria. There are variations on this, of course, but the base generally remains the same wherever you go.

While the exact origins of the dish are uncertain, it is apparent that Orvieto holds it up as one of their particular specialities. As a result, if you want to taste the authentic dish as the Italians make it, you'll first need to find a holiday rental in Orvieto.

If you're unable to wait until you get there to try this delicious dish, why not try out our recipe first?

To the far northern end of the historic Italian city of Orvieto, there is a panoramic clearing.

Located near the entrance to the city and close by Saint Patrick's Well, just before Piazza Cahen, this shady area of greenery and pretty pathways is situated on a cliffside with views across the Umbrian countryside and is home to an ancient Etruscan temple.

The Temple of Belvedere is the best conserved monument of Etruscan Orvieto and a visit to the site offers beautiful views, scenic surroundings and a taster of Italian history outside the stuffier and more traditional parameters of a museum setting. If you are interested in history or archaeological discoveries, this is the place for you. Just find a holiday rental in Orvieto and make your way to the northern part of town.

There is absolutely no lack of things to see and do in Italy. The food is almost universally delicious, the shopping is great, it is home to some of the best beaches in the world and natural delights, and is rich beyond belief in historical, cultural and artistic gems. However, it is also home to many strange and incredible sights that could be called the “Wonders” of Italy. Here are just seven that we have picked out. Here are the Seven Wonders of Italy.

The Temple of Valadier doesn't look real but like something from a fantasy novel. Perched just inside the Frassassi mountain caves in Genga, Le Marche with views across an amazing landscape, it seems like a mythical temple or the home of some magical creature. It is actually a neoclassical church which was built in 1828 for Pope Leone XII, set inside the fantastical Frassassi cave system, which is made up of crags, stalagmites and stalactites, and has a theatrical and breath-taking appearance. To visit just, find a holiday rental in Le Marche and spend a day exploring this special place.

Orvieto Cathedral is one of the most celebrated in Italy and attracts thousands of visitors to the town of Orvieto, Umbria each year. The present building is a revamped version of a pre-existing structure and was reconstructed in order to house a relic in the thirteenth century. The relic in question, the Corporal of Bolsena, is equally fascinating. Wandering through the narrow medieval streets of Orvieto, one stumbles upon the cathedral when the space suddenly opens in front of you and its stunning façade appears, raised and resplendent in its intricate detail. If you want to see this world class building and experience its beauty and history for yourself, find a villa with pool in Umbria and be sure to pay a visit.

St Patrick conjures images of Ireland to mind, not Italy. However, a particularly fascinating monument in Orvieto, Umbria has the British saint's name attached to it. St Patrick's Well, originally called The Fortress Well – which would be a far more suitable title to use – is an exceptionally deep well which was built to provide water to Orvieto during times of siege.

Built on the edge of a cliff in the early 1500s and a masterpiece of hydraulic engineering, it is now a popular tourist site.

The structure is so ingrained into Italian mindsets that to call someone generous you can say that they have pockets as deep as St Patrick's Well. If you want to see this astounding and iconic structure for yourself, find a luxury villa in Umbria and make the descent into the depths of the earth.

In 1218, we are told that St Francis of Assisi planted a rose and laurel near Montegiove in Umbria. From this spot, a fountain rose up and he built a hut made of “scarza” (a marsh plant) and founded a monastery on the miraculous site. In the 1400s a church and monastic buildings were built in order to celebrate the saint and this act. However, this was abandoned in the 18th century. The buildings and site fell into a state of disrepair and sections were lost until the Milanese architect, Tomaso Buzzi bought it in 1957. He restored the monastery and then went on to build his “ideal city”.

This fantastical city and landscape is bizarre and surreal but truly unique and fascinating.