In Sovana, the tuff stone dominates everything: the houses, the walls, the streets. The light constantly changes the color of the town, from the warm yellow of the afternoon to the gray and pink tones of the evening. The heart of the village is the main square, compact and very elegant, where medieval buildings overlook it and tell the story of the period when Sovana was an important center, much more influential than one might imagine today. In the Middle Ages, it was indeed an episcopal seat and had a certain political and religious weight. Pope Gregory VII was also born here, a central figure in European medieval history.

Around the village opens an almost mysterious landscape, made up of woods, gorges, and paths carved into the tuff by the Etruscans. The so-called “vie cave” are deep corridors carved into the rock, damp and shady, where the walls can reach several meters in height. Walking inside them gives a very special feeling: it seems like crossing a sacred and ancient place, still full of memory. Just outside are the Etruscan necropolises, and especially the spectacular Ildebranda Tomb, which rises from the greenery like a forgotten temple. It is one of the most impressive Etruscan funerary monuments in Tuscany and tells how important this area was already many centuries before the Romans.

Even the village’s churches have a special character. The Cathedral of Sovana does not impress with grandeur, but with balance and sobriety: it is one of those Romanesque buildings that seem to be made specifically to dialogue with the landscape.

Sorano is one of the most picturesque villages in the Tuscan Maremma. It stands on a tuff spur and, when seen from afar, it almost seems to rise directly from the rock. The houses overlap one another following the profile of the hill, creating a very scenic landscape. Walking through the historic center, one encounters narrow streets, arches, stairways, and stone houses that retain a very authentic medieval atmosphere. The village has a more compact and ‘vertical’ appearance compared to other towns in the area, and it is precisely this structure that gives it a special charm.

Dominating the town is the Orsini Fortress, built by the Orsini family, who controlled this territory for centuries. From the walls, there is a very beautiful view of the tuff hills and the surrounding valleys.

Sorano, like nearby Sovana, is also connected to the Etruscan civilization, and in its surroundings are necropolises and, above all, the famous rock-hewn roads.

Not far from the village are also the Sorano Thermal Baths, set in greenery, which make the area ideal for slow and relaxed tourism.

Of remarkable interest both historically and naturally is the rock settlement of Vitozza, which, like most medieval settlements, rises on a wide tuff plateau. Information about the village dates back to the 12th century as it was part of a large fief that included about fifteen castles. Walking along the main country road, one can admire the remains of the fortifications, churches, and numerous masonry buildings, in addition to the very numerous caves (over 200) used as stables, homes, and workplaces, all set in a natural environment of exceptional beauty.

The rock settlement of San Rocco can be reached by taking Provincial Road 22, about 2 km from Sorano in the direction of Sovana. At the entrance, there is a small Church dedicated to San Rocco. The church was built by the people of Sorano “by vow of the Community,” almost certainly on the occasion of some plague, between the late 1400s and early 1500s. Continuing along the path, you reach the hill, which presents itself as a huge panoramic terrace immersed in greenery from which you can enjoy a striking view of the village of Sorano and the deep valleys surrounding it. Numerous rooms carved into tuff testify to the frequentation of the area in ancient times. Behind the church, a path leads to the Via Cava of San Rocco. Probably of Etruscan origin, this path, deeply carved into the tuff spur, has great scenic appeal. Walking along the Via Cava, you reach the valley of the Lente River.

Since 1998, these places of great archaeological, historical, and natural significance have gone to constitute the CITTÀ DEL TUFO Archaeological Park, which presents itself as an enormous open-air museum made up of an inseparable combination of Nature and Art. The testimonies and signs of human presence, dating back to the earliest eras, can be observed in the countryside, in historic centers, but above all in archaeological areas, a tangible sign of the extraordinary concentration of civilizations. In this territory, it is the Etruscans who have left the most evident marks of their presence; just think of the Etruscan necropolis of Sovana with its monumental rock-cut facade tombs and the famous viae cave.