Rick Steves looks to defend one such place, the breathtaking hill town of Volterra, crowning it one of Italy's most underrated. And it isn't far from those popular Italian cities, either.

A visit to Orvieto rewards you with a perfectly preserved and traffic-free world highlighted by a colorful cathedral and some of Italy's best wine.

Orvieto is one of the most striking, memorable and enjoyable hill towns in central Italy. About 90 minutes from Rome, Orvieto sits majestically high above the valley floor atop a big chunk of tufo ...