On a hill overlooking the Tiber valley in the Lazio region in the province of Viterbo, Orte was founded as an Etruscan centre and, when it became a Roman municipality, it became increasingly important due to its strategic position on the Via Amerina.

Fortified by the Byzantines, it was conquered first by the Arabs and then by the Lombards.

Having regained its independence, it and its territory stood between other powerful entities, like the Abbey of Farfa and the cities of Amelia and Narni.

The splendours of its medieval period can be relived in the events of the Octave of Sant'Egidio, when the famous Palio degli Arcieri takes place.

The Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, the Church of San Pietro and the Church of San Biagio, as well as the Diocesan Museum of Orte, the Municipal Archaeological Museum, and the Museum of the Confraternities are worth a visit.