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Surroundings

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PITIGLIANO:

 

History

The town’s origins are extremely old and have witnessed considerable changes with every epoch.  It  has a large cultural heritage and traditions, that together with its natural surroundings, which have remained intact and which have a certain charm make Pitigliano a little jewel in the hilly Maremma.

 

To See

Pitigliano itself can be considered as the most important monument, with its historical centre in which the houses rise up on a tufa outcrop without any specific plans as to materials and colours.   It stretches between two valleys and is an extraordinarily spectacular sight when it suddenly appears before the visitor.  It is particularly splendid at night when it is illuminated.

 

• The Medici Aqueduct
  The Aqueduct, built during the time of the Medici, with its elegant arches and public wash houses below is the symbol of Pitigliano.

• The Orsini Palace
  The first nucleus (the tower) dates from early medieval times.   It was gradually enlarged,
  restructured and now the fortress is an important museum in which there mainly religious art objects, canvases by Francesco Zuccarelli and a Virgin and child by Jacopo Della Quercia.    Access to the Archaeological Museum is from the elegant little square in the fortress.
• Civic Archaeological Museum
  The museum contains remains from Etruscan times which were found in the necropolis in the surrounding areas (VII° - VI° century before Christ - particularly valuable are the vases in bucchero).   Of particular interest is the storeroom in a large room of the museum.   The restoration work being carried out here on some of the remains is visible to the public.
• Piazza della Repubblica
  The Piazza is in a large space which overlooks the green valleys on both sides where the Meleta and Lente rivers run (at night the waterfall is illuminated) as does the Prochio.   On one side is the Medici fountain with its five arches and, in the centre, two fountains in travertine stone.
• The Historic Centre
  The centre is composed of three streets which are practically parallel and which are connected to one another by small alleys (vicoli), some of which lead to and lean over the end of the tufa cliff.
• The Old Ghetto and Synagogue
  The whole of the old Jewish quarter has recently been recuperated and restored and shows all aspects of Jewish culture.   There is a museum which explains Jewish life and Jewish religion.
• The Cathedral
  The Cathedral was restored and enlarged in 1500 and is dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul.  The actual façade is Baroque and dates from the XVII° century.   The crenellated tower, which is 35 metres high, has three divisions and was originally used for military purposes.
• The Church of Santa Maria (S. Rocco)
  The church is situated in the old Capisotto quarter and is the oldest church in Pitigliano (XII° century).   Its elegant façade has a lovely portal and four Corinthian pilasters.    The nave is divided into two rows of columns in travertine stone and arches which rest on Corinthian capitals.
• The archaeological Museum “Alberto Manzi”
  It is a theme museum, instructive and informative.    The “city of the living” and the “city of the dead” have been constructed with numerous instructive panels with extensive and complete information on the life, rites and ceremonies of the Etruscan people.
• The Vie Cave
  The Vie Cave are passageways that were caved out of the rock by the Etruscans and are often hundreds of metres long with sides which are over twenty metres high.   They are very impressive and they are also interesting because of the type of flora that has developed in them.