Sovana

A jewel of the Maremma

IT IS PROBABLY THE MOST CHARACTERISTIC HAMLET IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF SORANO. LOCATED IN THE SOUTH-WEST AREA OF THE MUNICIPALITY, THANKS TO ITS VERY RICH HISTORY SOVANA COMPLETES WITH SORANO AND PITIGLIANO THE TRIPTYY OF THE SO-CALLED TUFF CITIES.

Made famous by the imposing monumental tombs and its vast necropolis, Sovana as well as being a very important Etruscan centre, it became a thriving and important city in medieval times, as evidenced by the numerous religious and civil buildings that can be admired here.

What to see in Sovana

DISCOVER THE VILLAGE OF SOVANA IN THE HEART OF THE MAREMMA

At the entrance to the town, the Rocca Aldobrandesca stands out, built around the 11th century. it preserves part of the tower and the perimeter walls. The entrance portal, now dismantled, was made of peperino and was equipped with a drawbridge.

Continuing along the main street you reach Piazza del Pretorio overlooked by the main monuments. On the left side is the church ofS. Mamilianobuilt around the 4th century. TO. on the remains of an Etruscan and then Roman building, it is certainly the oldest religious building in Sovana. Next to it is the Palazzo dei Marquesi Bourbon del Monte with a large three-arch portico and the church of S. Maria from the 12th-13th century. notable above all for the presence of a rare pre-Romanesque ciborium placed above the main altar. To the right of the square, in addition to the Loggia del Capitano adorned in 1570 with the coat of arms of Cosimo I de’ Medici, the Palazzo Pretorio also dating back to the 12th-13th century is of particular interest. for the presence on the façade of nine coats of arms bearing the names of the captains of justice and commissioners who succeeded one another under the dominion of Siena and Florence. In the center of the square between Via del Duomo and Via so-called “di Sotto” stands the Palazzetto Comunale or dell’Archivio surmounted by a small bell tower.

Continuing along the main street at the end of the town, in an isolated position, you reach the Cathedral dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. The building dates back to at least the 11th century. as demonstrated by a bull from Pope Nicholas II, he underwent numerous interventions. In fact, here it is possible to observe both from an architectural and decorative point of view the presence of different styles: Gothic, Romanesque, Lombard.

MUSEUM OF SAN MAMILIANO

In the heart of the ancient village of Sovana, during the restoration works conducted by the Superintendence for Architectural Heritage and Landscape of the provinces of Siena and Grosseto for the structural recovery of the church of San Mamiliano and its transformation into a museum container, an archaeological investigation which revealed a site of great interest. In 2004, during the excavation activities, in addition to the discovery of a thermal plant from the Roman era, the discovery of an extraordinary late-ancient monetary hoard consisting of 498 gold coins dating back to the 5th century. AD, led the sector Superintendencies and the municipal administration to modify the original exhibition project which envisaged the creation of the Etruscan Museum. In fact, the former church has been turned into a museum, leaving an important part of the excavation visible, and archaeological finds relating to the Roman phase of the city have been exhibited, leaving a large exhibition space for the monetary hoard.

What see nearby

LE VIE CAVE

Uniqueness of the entire area of the tuff cities in the municipalities of Sorano and Pitigliano, the vie cave are ancient Etruscan roads made up of deep paths obtained from cutting of the tuff rock. Even in the Sorano area there are dozens of them, among which we highlight Il Cavone, the Via Cava di San Sebastiano and the Via Cava di San Rocco. Il Cavone is located in Sovana inside the Archaeological Park, just past the tomb of Trifone. The Via Cava di San Sebastiano is still located in Sovana in the Archaeological Park, the entrance is located a few dozen meters after the former church of San Sebastiano. The Via Cava di San Rocco is located in Sorano (also in the Archaeological Park) and connects the town with the rock complex of San Rocco.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK CITY OF TUFO

The City del Tufo archaeological park is in turn composed of three parks located in the territory of the Municipality of Sorano: the Etruscan necropolis of Sovana, the rock settlement of San Rocco and the rock settlement of Vitozza.

Located near the hamlet of Sovana, the Necropolis area extends for about a kilometer and a half and presents an almost uninterrupted row of cube and semi-cube tombs. Among these, some monumental tombs with colonnaded fronts and aedicule with decorated pediments stand out: in Poggio Prisca Pola tomb