Duomo di Orvieto

Perched on a volcanic plateau, this cathedral is famous for a striped stone body and a dazzling façade of gold mosaics, bronze figures and intricate carved reliefs. Inside, a chapel holds a fresco cycle of the Last Judgement painted by Luca Signorelli that later influenced Michelangelo. The building took centuries to complete under a succession of master builders. A distinctive detail is the golden west front, which catches the setting sun so brightly that the whole cliff-top town seems to glow above the valley.