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 PitiglianoPitigliano is a truly characteristic village lying to the south of Florence and north of Rome, in a zone known as land of "Bianco di Pitigliano": a great Italian wine. Pitigliano is located at the extreme south of Tuscany, in the province of Grosseto. The village is also called "the small Jerusalem": appellation due to both the medieval landscape – recalling the ancient Jerusalem – and the large group of Jewish that inhabited Pitigliano in ancient times and founded the Jewish University of Pitigliano. This fascinating town rises, fortified, on top of a cliff and heightens all its romantic and discrete charm in the chiaroscuro of the narrow, almost secret, alleys and the dark cellars. Exploring the subsoil you will discover an authentic second city, crossed by intercommunicating tunnels, wells positioned on different levels, ancient graves and colombarium. Every house is provided with a cellar, which goes down and down until the room of wooden barrels, where the wine is preserved at a constantly cool temperature. Then the tunnels continue going down to a second and a third ravine, to the bowels of the cliff. A few steps away from the built-up area are the numerous "cave": streets excavated deep into the tuff in very ancient times, made in order to link the old villages with each other. A bit of history...Pitigliano can boast ancient origins, witnessed by the numerous Etruscan tombs found in town throughout the ages. Since the VIII century BC, Pitigliano's political life has been closely connected to the nearby village of Sovana, governed by the Aldobrandeschi family. Pitigliano gradually increased its military importance thanks to both the strategic position and the wedding between Anastasia, the last Aldobrandeschi's descendant in Maremma, and Romano Orsini, relative of Giovanni Gaetano Orsini: Pope Niccolò III. Pitigliano was reconfirmed as chief town of the county and the Orsini's made it their main residence. In 1547, Niccolò IV (thanks to the support of Cosimo de' Medici) was proclaimed Lord of the town, even though, after a while he was imprisoned from the Pontifical Inquisition. The locals, after the fall of Siena (1562), favoured the Florentine liberal laws by throwing out the count Orsini and hailing the Medicean as Lords. Unfortunately, the Medicean domination did not worked out as hoped, on the contrary, the county became every day poorer, until the coming of Lorena's at the helm of the Grand Ducky of Tuscany that, thanks to a wise economic politic, brought wellness and stability. With the plebiscite of 1860, Pitigliano became part of the Kingdom of Italy. Pitigliano now...It gives a spectacular, unforgettable impression! You will breathe the history of different civilizations and cultures followed one another into the unpredictable stream of times: prehistoric, Etruscan, Roman, the medieval Aldobrandeschi's history; the Renaissance greatness of the Roman Orsini's family; the Medici and Lorena... The must see certainly is the palace-fortress of Orsini.
Other towns in the area: Florence, Arezzo, Pisa, Siena, Cortona, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Pienza, Pistoia, San Gimignano, San Miniato, Castiglion Fiorentino, Certaldo, Chianciano Terme, Empoli, Lucca, Asciano, Badia Agnano, Barberino Val d'Elsa, Bucine, Castelfiorentino, Castiglioncello, Cetona, Civitella della Chiana, Figline Valdarno, Foiano della Chiana, Greve in Chianti, Lucignano, Marciano della Chiana, Montaione, Monte San Savino, Montecatini-Terme, Monteriggioni, Rigomagno, Rosignano Solvay, San Casciano dei Bagni, San Casciano in Val di Pesa, Sarteano, Sinalunga, Torrita di Siena, Trequanda, Volterra, Casole d'Elsa, Castelnuovo Berardenga , Chiusi, Colle di Val d'Elsa, Gambassi Terme, Montefollonico, Panzano in Chianti, Poppi, Rignano sull'Arno, San Baronto, San Quirico d'Orcia, Scandicci, Sorano, Castellina in Chianti, Ghizzano, Lamporecchio, Laterina , Molazzana, Montisi, Pieve Fosciana, Poggibonsi, Porciano, Vagliagli, Badia a Ruoti, Gaiole in Chianti, Empoli, Nievole, Pozzo della Chiana |
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