Padua, backs onto the Euganinian hills, surrounding these hills are a series of wonderful small citi

We are planning a 2 week trip to Iitaly in June 2014. We plan to rent an apartment off of vrbo.com and use it as a home base, rather than a more exhausting "see everything" tour. For various reasons Padova or Orvieto interest us as possible places to rent.
For Orvieto you'd have easy access to Rome, which you would do by train. The other things within day trip distance italy travel would probably be better by car - the smaller towns of Tuscany and Umbria. So pick Orvieto if you plan to rent a car, want to see some Tuscan countryside/hilltowns, and want to spend time in Rome.
Padua is very close to Venice (1/2 hr train) but also easy day trip to Verona, Vicenza, Bologna, Ferrera, and other great towns in those regions. Could even do day trip to Florence. Most of that could easily be done by train. So pick Padua if you'd rather not rent a car and those cities interest you.
Padua is set in a flat, flat plain that extends for miles. The landscape is dull and the area is not known for picturesque small towns and villages. The nearby cities mentioned above are the primary attraction.
if you are willing to rent a car, I would choose Montepulciano over Orvieto, as the town is stunning and there are so many beauty spots and pretty towns in every direction. Lousy train links, however.
I loved Padua and spent several days there. Did not find it boring at all. You can also go by train to Ravenna to visit the fabulous mosaics there. The villas of Andrea Palladio are in that area. The home of Canova was a fun place to check out. Also if you rent a car there are other options to visit beyond the ones mentioned above such as Asolo and Bassana de Grappo. The scenery going North from Padua is lovely. I agree that the NItaly is more developed or perhaps industrialized than the area around Oriveto
Padua, backs onto the Euganinian hills, surrounding these hills are a series of wonderful small cities/towns (plus some of the ones mentioned above) and in all directions you will find more with at least 5 walled cities within 40km (Ferarra and Bologna etc are even further but easily reached by car at these distances there are so many cities worth visiting it is hard write). Take care with finding a place to stay as the very core does not allow cars, but bicycles are east to rent. Yes the land is flat and this allows for a pleasant bicycle based culture.
It is also not far from the Euganinian hills, and there are indeed pleasant and/or interesting walled and other towns to the south as well as Vicenza, Verona to the east, Venice to the west, and a bunch of places like Bassano to the north.
I personally don't like Orvieto as a base for daytrips, italy travel especially italy travel by car. It's (stunningly) italy travel located on a mesa-like volcanic projection. So to make excursions you have to get down to the plain, either by driving down a winding road or by taking the funicular down to the train station or the parking lots nearby. For somebody who has a hard time getting started in the morning (guilty), getting away from Orvieto just adds to the lead time.
Which alternative you pick, either Padua or some of the others suggested depend on which sights you're interested in. I highly recommend Ravenna and its mosaics for somebody with your interests. If you drive there, as opposed to taking the train, it's easier to get out to Classe, a suburb of Ravenna with the mosaics of Basilica of St. Apollinaire.
One time I was on a limited budget and couldn't find lodgings in Venice to suit me, so we took a room in Padua near the station, much cheaper than anything in Venice at that time, and we loved it. Not only is it a short hop to go to Venice for the day, and cheap if you take the regional train, but we grew to like Padua also, it sure has its charms.
While in that region, consider making an early start one morning to go to Ravenna for the day, or better for an overnight stay, to see the mosaics - see www.ravennamosaici.it - you won't regret it. The 07:12 train gets you there by 09:25.
Another target you should consider while based in Padua: Chioggia, a charming mini-Venice - the 07:12 train gets you there by 09:04. Chioggia is linked to the "real" Venice by boat-bus - that would be a fun trip, then coming back in the evening from Venice by train to Padua.
italy travel Terni provincia italy travel (which Orvieto's in) is a great base for travels italy travel in Italy: I'd be dubious about being based in the centro storico of Orvieto, because it's a pain for trains and parking, and downright hostile to Orvieto Scalo, the rather grubby area around the station at the base of the hill the ancient city's built on, for many of the reasons others here are iffy about Padua.
I've had great holidays renting italy travel villas in the countryside within 10 mins (say 10 km radius) of Orvieto Scalo. Very handy for the motorway intersection just down the road from the station, italy travel for the food stores (which Orvieto's italy travel centro storico isn't that good for), and handy for trains (the only way of doing daytrips to Rome or Naples, and really italy travel the best way to get to Florence) .