Pitigliano, Tuscany
Pitigliano: Little Jerusalem, roads cut into the rock and wine from volcanic stone
A town growing out of the cliff, a 16th-century synagogue, roads cut deep into the rock more than two thousand years ago and a white wine aged in cellars carved out of volcanic stone. This is Pitigliano as you should experience it, and where to stay.
You first see it from the road from Manciano. Suddenly the landscape opens up, and there, on top of a sheer cliff of golden volcanic rock, sits Pitigliano. The stone is called tuff, and it is so soft you could scratch it with a key. That is why people have been able to carve cellars, passages and entire houses straight into the cliff. The houses stand so close to the edge that it is impossible to tell where the rock ends and the town begins. It is one of the most striking sights in all of Tuscany, and it only gets better as you come closer.
Pitigliano is more than a pretty postcard. The town has a history that sets it apart from every other small Italian town, and a landscape around it full of traces of a people who lived here long before the Romans. Here is how to experience it.
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Little Jerusalem: the Jewish heritage
From the 1500s, Jews persecuted elsewhere in Italy found refuge in Pitigliano, and the community grew so large and important that the town earned the nickname Little Jerusalem. The synagogue from the late 1500s has been restored and can be visited, together with the small museum in the old Jewish quarter.
Below ground lie the ritual bath, the kosher butchery, the wine cellar and the oven where unleavened bread was baked, all carved into the tuff. It is a rare chance to see how a Jewish community lived in a small Italian town over the centuries.
Taste the sfratto
Do not miss sfratto, a long pastry filled with honey and walnuts that comes from Pitigliano’s Jewish tradition. You will find it in the bakeries of the old town.
Vie Cave: the roads cut into the rock
Long before the Romans, this land belonged to the Etruscans, one of the oldest peoples in Italy. They cut narrow roads straight down into the soft stone, so deep that you walk along the bottom of a gorge. In places the walls rise over ten metres, covered in moss and ferns. Italians call them Vie Cave, the hollowed-out roads. No one knows for certain what they were used for, which only makes walking them more magical. Several start just outside town and can be explored on foot.
Pitigliano. Photo: Picolo
Wine from the tuff
The area around Pitigliano is known for the white wine Bianco di Pitigliano, fresh and mineral from the volcanic soil. Many of the town’s wine cellars are carved into the cliff, keeping a cool, even temperature all year. Join a tasting at a local winery, or order a glass in one of the wine bars in the old town.
The best view
The most famous view of Pitigliano is from the road towards Manciano, by the church of Madonna delle Grazie. Come early in the morning or at sunset, when the light turns the tuff golden. At night the town is lit up, and the sight is just as beautiful.
Sovana and Sorano: the tuff towns nearby
Close by are two more tuff towns. Sovana is a small medieval gem with a Romanesque cathedral and an Etruscan necropolis, a burial ground, with impressive tombs carved into the rock. Sorano clings to a cliff above the river valley, with a fortress and narrow lanes. Together with Pitigliano they are often called the tuff towns, and are easy to visit in a day by car.
Saturnia: hot springs nearby
A short drive away is Saturnia, with the hot springs at Cascate del Mulino, where warm water flows down in terraces and you can bathe for free. Perfect after a day walking the sunken roads.
Where to stay in and around Pitigliano
Stay in Pitigliano and you see the town in the evening, when the day-trippers have left and the lanes fall silent. With a car you can also stay in the countryside or by the hot springs.
La Casa degli Archi: in the old town
A place to stay in Pitigliano, with the old lanes and the views right outside your door.
Book your stay: See rooms at La Casa degli Archi
Relais Valle Orientina: a spa in the valley
A hotel with a spa and indoor pool in Pitigliano, in a quiet setting in the valley below the town.
Book your stay: See rooms at Relais Valle Orientina
Sovana Hotel & Resort: by the tuff town of Sovana
A family-friendly hotel with an outdoor pool and restaurant, close to Sovana and the Etruscan tombs.
Book your stay: See rooms at Sovana Hotel & Resort
Terme di Saturnia: luxury at the hot springs
A luxury resort with a spa and golf course by the hot springs in Saturnia, a perfect end to the trip.
Book your stay: See rooms at Terme di Saturnia
Getting to Pitigliano
Pitigliano lies in southern Tuscany, in the province of Grosseto, near the border with Lazio. Driving is easiest, from Rome or the Tuscan coast. With a car you can combine Pitigliano with Sovana, Sorano, Saturnia and Civita di Bagnoregio. Read our guide to car hire in Italy.
When to go
Spring and autumn are ideal, with pleasant temperatures for walking the sunken roads. Autumn brings the grape and olive harvest, and summer can be hot, but the evenings in town are long and atmospheric.
Frequently asked questions about Pitigliano
Why is Pitigliano called Little Jerusalem?
Because from the 1500s the town had a large and important Jewish community. The synagogue and the Jewish quarter can be visited today.
What are the Vie Cave?
The Vie Cave are narrow roads cut deep into the soft stone around Pitigliano by the Etruscans, one of the oldest peoples in Italy. Several can be walked on foot.
Where is the best view of Pitigliano?
From the road towards Manciano, by the church of Madonna delle Grazie, you see the town on top of the cliff.
Where should you stay in Pitigliano?
In the old town for the evening atmosphere, while Relais Valle Orientina, Sovana Hotel & Resort and Terme di Saturnia offer more comfort with a car.