Sights in Pitigliano

Different cultural influences have left their mark in the old city of Pitigliano. Etruscan graves, an aqueduct, palaces and a synagogue are testimony of the diverse past of the city of sinter.

Etruscan graves and cellars

Even from a far, countless hollowed out spaces can be seen in the soft rock plateau, which serves as the foundation of Pitigliano. The Etruscans used them as tombs. Graves from this era are still being discovered today in the surrounding areas and in the nearby district Sovana.

Cellars with many small niches and tunnels can be found beneath all of the buildings of Pitigliano. Almost every house has rooms, which have been built into the sinter and are used today as wine cellars.

Mediaeval charm

The Piazza della Repubblica is the historic main square of Pitigliano. The central area is dominated by the impressive Palazzo Orsini, a fortress and palace in one. Today it houses a small archeological museum as well as a collection of sacred artworks.

You cannot miss the heraldic animal of the former ruling Orsini family, a bear, which is the symbol of power in many places throughout the city.

The ruling Orsini family

A mediaeval aqueduct looms up next to the Palazzo Orsini, which provided Pitigliano with water. 15 of the arches are still well kept, as a symbol of Pitigliano. A renaissance fountain adorns the piazza, which is surrounded by chaotic mediaeval lanes and alleys.

Furthermore, the dome, which was surprisingly built in a baroque style, as well as the small 13th century church Santa Maria are worth visiting.

A former centre of Jewish culture

For centuries, the large Jewish community played a main role in the development of Pitigliano. Most Jews left the city during the era of fascism. The crooked lanes and beautiful Via Zuccarelli form what was once the Jewish ghetto.

A Jewish community as such is no longer present, the cultural heritage is still upheld, however. This is why the synagogue was carefully restored and opened to the public a few years ago.

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