Sovana

An Etruscan city par excellence, it rises above a spur of tufa rock, which has guaranteed its defence since ancient times. Today the village appears as a perfect model of mediaeval architecture in excellent condition.

Walking through its red brick paved streets, the Sienese style gives the feeling of stepping into a living room, while its monuments inspire a sense of awe and respect for past glories.

Definitely worth visiting: Piazza del Pretorio, defined as one of the hundred most beautiful piazzas in Italy, the Church of Santa Maria, the Palazzo dell'Archivio, the Palazzo Pretorio, the Church of San Mamiliano, site of the new archaeological museum in Sovana, the famous Cathedral, which has totally maintained its Romanesque architectural purity and the biblical symbolism sculpted on its capitals. After visiting the town, a visit to the Etruscan necropolis of Sovana with its famous Rupestrian Tombs is in order. Some recommended graves to visit include the Hildebrand Tomb (3 - 2 century BC), the Winged Demon Tomb (3 – 2 century BC), the Typhon Tomb (3 – 2 century BC), the Siren's Tomb (3 – 2 century BC). Finally, do not miss a walk along the famous Vie Cave Etrusche or the mysterious pathways wedged into the rock between two tufa walls of up to 25 meters in height.

These pathways, contrary to what you might think, were dug by hand by the Etruscans and their very high walls bear a wealth of important and sometimes mysterious symbols such as the swastika, the "scaccia diavoli (cast out devils)" and the inscriptions in the Etruscan language related to the worship of mother earth.