Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CITTÀ DEL TUFA
The picturesque towns of Pitigliano, Sovana and Sorano form a triangle, enclosing a dra-
matic landscape where local buildings have been constructed from the volcanic porous rock
called 'tufa' since Etruscan times. This area is called the Città del Tufa (City of the Tufa)
or, less commonly, the Paese del Tufa (Land of the Tufa).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Pitigliano
POP 3840
Check your car mirrors before screeching to a halt and indulging in an orgy of photography
on the approach to this spectacularly sited hilltop stronghold. Organically sprouting from a
volcanic rocky outcrop towering over the surrounding country, Pitigliano is surrounded by
gorges on three sides, constituting a natural bastion which is completed to the east by a
man-made fort. Within the town, twisting stairways disappear around corners, cobbled al-
leys bend tantalisingly out of sight beneath graceful arches, and quaint stone houses are
crammed next to each other in higgledy-piggledy fashion.
Originally built by the Etruscans, Pitigliano came under Roman rule before becoming a
fiefdom of the wealthy Aldobrandeschi and Orsini families; the Orsinis, who were from
Rome, enlarged the fortress, reinforced the defensive walls and built the imposing aque-
duct. Their rule came to an end in 1608 when the town was absorbed into the grand duchy
of Tuscany under Cosimo I de' Medici.
In 1944, 88 local residents were killed and many buildings were damaged during Allied
bombings. A plaque near Piazza della Repubblica commemorates the victims.
Sights & Activities
MUSEUM
La Piccola Gerusalemme
(Little Jerusalem; 05 6461 4230;
www.lapiccolagerusalemme.it
;
Vicolo Manin 30; adult/reduced €4/3;
10am-1.30pm & 2.30-6.30pm Sun-Fri summer, 10am-12.30pm & 3-5.30pm Sun-Fri winter)
Head
down Via Zuccarelli and turn left at a sign indicating 'La Piccola Gerusalemme' to visit
this fascinating time capsule of Pitigliano's rich but sadly near-exinct Jewish culture. It in-
