Underground Garden
A vast network of tunnels and carved chambers beneath Orte reveals nearly 2,500 years of continuous urban life, from water systems and storage to craft workshops and private spaces hewn into the living rock.
At a glance
The Underground Garden is a research project documenting Orte’s subterranean infrastructure—an extensive system of cisterns, wells, tunnels, warehouses, and domestic chambers carved into the cliff face that supports the medieval town above. The project transforms these archaeological spaces into an accessible tourist experience.
History
Orte has sustained human habitation from the end of the Bronze Age (XII century BC) to the present. Over almost 2,500 years, residents carved into the underlying cliff to create essential urban systems. The Underground Garden project, coordinated by the Civic Archaeological Museum’s scientific direction with support from the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage for Southern Etruria and the cultural association Veramente Orte, has systematically studied and opened these spaces to the public.
What you see
The subterranean complex comprises water-management infrastructure (aqueducts, cisterns, wells), storage facilities, stables, dovecotes, workshops for wool and hemp processing, wash houses, fountains, and residential quarters. Summer triclinia and private garden spaces reveal the sophistication of daily life. The visitor route begins at the underground fountain in Piazza della Libertà and winds through hundreds of meters of passages into the heart of the cliff.
Cultural significance
The underground chambers document how medieval communities engineered survival and comfort by adapting to their geology. The complex demonstrates continuity of settlement, urban planning, craft production, and social organization across millennia—a rare archaeological record of unbroken occupation.
Key facts
- Address: Via G. Matteotti, 45, 01028 Orte
- Coordinates: 42.46035985606967, 12.38604962825775
- Phone: 327 3978831
- Official website: https://www.visitaorte.com/
Practical information
Visits are organized through the project’s tourist office. Guided tours are recommended to understand the complex layout and historical narrative. Comfortable shoes and a light jacket are advisable.
Getting there
Orte is located in southern Lazio, approximately 70 kilometers north of Rome. The town is accessible by road and by rail; check visitaorte.com for detailed directions and current opening hours.
Sources & resources
Find it on the map
Historical events at this place (2)
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