During a road trip through Italy in 2018, I made a stop in the beautiful hilltop town of Orvieto. After spending the morning hours viewing the numerous churches and piazzas in the city center, I walked a series of narrow streets to investigate the famous well on the outer edge.

It is known as the Pozzo di San Patrizio (St. Patrick’s Well) and is a triumph of Renaissance engineering. It was commissioned by Pope Clement VII in 1527 while taking refuge in Orvieto during the “Sack of Rome.” He chose Antonio da Sangallo the Younger to design and build the well as a city water supply in case of siege.

It features two staircases in a double-helix design. Circling the center opening, you can descend to the bottom, and then ascend to the top without encountering any traffic in the other direction (perfect for donkeys hauling buckets up and down). Lighting is provided by arched windows along the two staircases and reaches the bottom depth of 72 meters (174.4 feet).

Incredibly functional, but also surprisingly beautiful when viewed from the bottom.