Vie Cave: from Pitigliano to Sovana

Mystical, imposing and mysterious, the Vie Cave are certainly one of the most beautiful attractions of Pitigliano, today we take you to the discovery of an itinerary through these ancient Etruscan roads that leads from Pitigliano to the beautiful Sovana.

The departure is from the center of Pitigliano, you set off to reach Via Aldobrandeschi and about halfway you meet Porta Sovana, at this point the path is slightly downhill, after passing the door you continue going down a characteristic and slowly moving away from the inhabited area of ​​Pitigliano to enter the suggestive woods that surround the village.

After a few meters you cross a bridge to cross the Lente stream, immediately on the left you will find the signs for a path that leads into the woods and you arrive at Via Cava dell’Annunziata. The Via Cava dell’Annunziata is one of the most particular of Pitigliano, it still hosts the remains of a small rock church, dedicated to San Rocco, a little further on, among the terraces, there is a necropolis, the ancient “city of the dead” Etruscan.

At the end of the path inside the Via Cava dell’Annunziata, we find ourselves walking along a dirt road, surrounded by wonderful countryside and beautiful vineyards, so traditional in this part of southern Tuscany, at the end of the road there is a branch, you have to continue to the left following the signs for Via Cava di Pian dei Conati.

Just before reaching the via cava, from the dirt road, you can already see the beautiful Romanesque Cathedral of Sovana in the distance. At this point the path begins inside the Via Cava di Pian dei Conati, first downhill, up to a characteristic stream immersed in the woods, and then up to a second stream. bridge and continue going to the left.

The route leads to this point at the ruins of an ancient city wall, at the gates of the village of Sovana, it also passes the sports field of the town and climbs alongside the archaeological area, until you reach the Rocca Aldobrandesca, hence our itinerary continues to discover the village of Sovana, along the main street of the town (which divides it in half) you reach the characteristic Piazza del Pretorio, where the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Church of San Mamiliano (now a museum) are located, Palazzo Bourbon del Monte, the Palazzo dell’Archivio, Palazzo Pretorio and the Loggia del Capitano, continue for a few hundred meters and arrive at the Cathedral, a beautiful Romanesque style building.