Pitigliano Sorano Sovana: a journey into history, art and Tuscan nature
In the heart of Grosseto’s Maremma, an area inhabited since etruscan times, three cities that are among the most precious pearls of Tuscany emerge from imposing tuff cliffs. Pitigliano, Sovana and Sorano are known as the “cities of tuff” due to the geologic conformation of their land (the so called “area of the tuff”).
First stage: Pitigliano
The first stage of our tour is dedicatedto most famous of the three cities: Pitigliano. Also known as the “Small Jerusalem” for the presence of a significant Jewish community, Pitigliano has so much to offer to visitors.
We start from the museums. An ancient town like this has, of course, an important archaeological heritage and, in fact in Pitigliano there are two archaeological museums: the Museo Civico Archeologico and the Museo archeologico all’aperto “Alberto Manzi”. In addition to these, there are the Museo Diocesano and the Museo ebraico.
Even if these museums as interesting, they are not the main attraction. The main reasons why you will be fascinated from Pitigliano are the glance that the city has to offer when you reach it and the urban fabric that has remained intact over the centuries.
We recommend a walk wandering adrift in the narrow streets of the city, where you can discover treasures like the aqueduct, the Duomo or the Fontana delle sette cannelle.
If you want to follow an itinerary, we suggest to read our article on Pitigliano.
Second stage: Sovana
Sovana is surprisingly. We are talking about a tuny village, pretty much just a road, yet there is so much to see and enjoy. In a ranking based on the relationship between cultural heritage and square meters, Sovana would certainly be in the top positions.
The heart of the village is Piazza del Pretorio, a real treat overlooked by buildings like the Palazzo Pretorio and the Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore. At the extremes of the village, there are two other buildings of great importance such as the Rocca degli Aldobrandeschi and the Concattedrale di San Pietro, the cathedral of Sovana.
Now, we have to talk about the “treasure of Sovana”. Well yes, there is a real treasure stored inside the Chiesa di San Mamiliano, made up of 498 gold coins discovered during an archaeological dig.
Third stage: Sorano
The last stage among the cities of tuff is about the “Matera della Tuscany“, Sorano. The town has a morphology similar to that of Pitigliano, also in this case the village seems to come out from the rock. As the other two cities, Sorano preserved its urban layout. A tangle of houses huddled on winding streets included between the Fortezza Orsini and the Masso Leopoldino.
The vie cave
If you enjoy hiking or just walking and exploring, we recommend to go into the etruscan vie cave (hollow roads) that allow to get to the necropolises of the zone. Today the roads are part of the Parco Archeologico Città del Tufo.
For more informations about the vie cave, please consult the official website of the archaeological park.
