Pitigliano is a village in the southern Maremma dug into the tuff. It stands on a promontory 313 meters above sea level, bordered by very green valleys crossed by the Lente and Meleta rivers. The very shape of the town, designed by the houses built on top of a tuff drum vertically on the precipice, makes the surrounding walls almost superfluous.
According to an ancient legend, the foundation of the city is due to two Romans: Petilio and Celiano; Pitigliano would have derived from the fusion of their names.
MAGIC AND BEAUTY IN THE LAND OF THE ETRUSCANS City of tuff and Little Jerusalem, evidence of a great history in a fantastic place Read the story
A bit of history
Pitigliano jealously preserves the memories of its ancient past, the testimonies of its civilizations and cultures that have followed one another here over millennia, starting from the prehistoric settlements, then moving on to the evident Etruscan traces, which can be admired in the tombs found in the area and in the walls, to get to the Romans whose passage has left traces in the name.
From the Aldobrandeschi, lords of the Maremma for about half a millennium, we then moved on to the Renaissance grandeur of the noble Roman family of the Orsini, and, after a brief presence in Siena, it was the turn of the Medici and their Lorraine heirs, who promoted a notable urban development and stimulated an important phase of modernization.
What to see in Pitigliano
It is easy to admire the magic and charm of Pitigliano walking through the ancient alleys and, above all, visiting the famous Jewish ghetto. The splendid village has in fact gone down in history as the “Little Jerusalem” for the large and very active Jewish community that settled there from the 15th century. Today it is possible to visit the Museum of Jewish Culture, the Synagogue as well as access through a suggestive path to the oven where unleavened bread was cooked, to the cellar dug into the tuff where kosher wine was produced, to the butcher shop, to the purification bath for women and at the dry cleaners.
Before entering the labyrinth of narrow streets you will pass in front of Palazzo Orsini, an imposing building of Aldobrandesca origin. Renovated by the Orsinis between the 15th and 16th centuries, today it houses two museums: the Civic Archaeological Museum and the Palazzo Orsini Museum.
Around
Leaving the town it is possible to discover the fascinating via cave, the corridors dug into the tufa rock created by the Etruscan civilization. Some are over a kilometer long, with walls up to 20 meters high.
Among the main ones is that of the Gradone where the “Alberto Manzi” open-air Archaeological Museum has been set up with its two itineraries through “the city of the living” and “the city of the dead”. The journey into the ancient Etruscan civilization continues in nearby Sorano where you can visit the Città del tufo Archaeological Park and the famous Necropolis of Sovana.
Events
One of the most awaited events in Pitigliano is SettembreDivino, the festival that takes place every year in conjunction with the grape harvest. For four days the cellars of the historic center dug into the tuff are opened and local wines, dishes and typical products are served, all accompanied by music and entertainment.
Typical products and dishes
The richness of Pitigliano’s past also reverberates in the luxuriant wine production. In fact, the vineyards of this area, fertilized by volcanic tuff and millennia-old humus, produce one of the finest Italian white wines: Bianco di Pitigliano – among the first to boast the DOC denomination.
The Sfratto del Goym is one of the specialties to taste. A traditional Jewish dessert prepared with a thin sheet of flour, eggs, sugar, butter and spices, and a filling of honey, walnuts, nutmeg and citrus peel.