Orvieto Hotel Kristall

Saint Patrick's Well

The Well is located immediately entering to Orvieto, adjacent to the funicolar, easy to reach on foot, by car, by train or bus.
The name of the well has no connection with any personality of this area, but it refers to the Irish abyss where Saint Patrick habitually prayed. The construction of the well began after 1527 thank to Pope Clemente VII. During this period the Pontiff ordered the construction of cisterns and wells to ensure the city autonomy in obtaining water in case of invasions. The Saint Patrick’s well, built in circular sections, is almost 62 meters deep and about 13,40 meters wide. Two diametrically opposed doorways give access to the two spiral staircases, one for the descent and the other for the ascent, conceived to be independent of one another without intersecting. Each staircase has 248 steps that in the past allowed pack animals to easily reach the bottom, where there is a wooden bridge above the water level. Once the filling operations were completed, the pack animals had to cross the bridge and climb the opposite staircase without getting in the way of others involved in the descent. The well is illuminated by 70 large windows from which it is possible to look out and see its depth.