The double helix staircase
At the eastern end of the cliff of Orvieto, near the funicular, a small, low round building hides one of the most ingenious works of Renaissance engineering: the Pozzo di San Patrizio, St Patrick's Well. It was commissioned in 1527 by Pope Clement VII, who had taken refuge in Orvieto after the terrible Sack of Rome by the troops of Emperor Charles V, and who feared that, in the event of a siege, the town on the rock would run out of water. The project was entrusted to the architect Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, and the well was completed in 1537.
The well is about 54 metres deep and about 13 metres wide, dug into the tuff and clay down to the water table. Its genius lies in its double helix staircase: two separate spiral ramps, each with 248 steps, wind around the central shaft one above the other without ever meeting, so that the donkeys and mules that carried the water could go down by one and come up by the other, without getting in each other's way. The staircases are lit by 72 windows that open onto the central shaft, creating a fascinating play of light and shadow. Walking down to the bottom, to the small bridge over the water, and back up is a unique experience. The name, given later by the friars, refers to the legendary cave of Saint Patrick in Ireland, which was believed to lead to Purgatory; and still today, in Italian, "being like the Well of Saint Patrick" means being bottomless, especially when speaking of money.
Tip: the descent and ascent take about half an hour and are tiring; it's cool inside even in summer.
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