Pitigliano and Sovana Tour from Rome

highlights

• Celebrate the mesmerizing villages of Sovana and Pitigliano in the heart of Tuscany’s Maremma region
• Journey in your private deluxe vehicle and English-speaking Driver at your service
• Explore two wonderfully atmospheric medieval villages, each with its own personality
• Visit the captivating ancient town of Pitigliano which seems to rise out of the rocky cliff
• Wander deep into Pitigliano’s history-steeped streets lined with medieval palazzi
• Browse inviting local artisan boutiques and shops for that perfect souvenir or gift for loved ones back home.
• Indulge in local delicacies like the traditional Sfratto di Pitigliano
• Explore the Jewish Quarters and see why they call Pitigliano "Little Jerusalem"
• Cherish a visit to the fabled medieval village of Sovana whose unique heritage traces back to pre-history
• Stroll the lovely village square and pedestrian-friendly lanes
• Explore ancient churches, browse local artisan shops, and revel in the peaceful atmosphere
• Our tours are private just for you and your party for optimal tour enjoyment, comfort, and privacy.
• We make our Tuscany tours easy with convenient pick up and drop off at your hotel accommodation in Rome
• Appreciate a higher level of personal attention and flexibility on our private luxury tours by car
• ** Upon request, we can reserve a 2-hour in-depth guided tour of Pitigliano with a locally Licensed Tour Guide. Inquire within for Prices and Tour Guide information.

itinerary

• Pitigliano
• Sovana

description

Experience Southern Tuscany’s off-the-tourist beaten path region of Maremma, a rural area of open spaces, rolling hills, ranches, cowboys (butteri), long-horned cattle, wilderness, delicious food, excellent wines, sacred Etruscan sites, and fairytale medieval towns perched on hilltops overlooking lush valleys.

Your Stefano’s RomeCabs professional driver will pick you up at your Rome hotel and will take a leisurely drive through the rustic countryside of Lazio into Tuscany as you approach Pitigliano and Sovana, medieval hilltop cities rich in history and Etruscan remains. Sovana and Pitigliano are among the few places of Etruscan origin that, with a few exceptions, have been continuously inhabited since ancient times.

Maremma sees fewer tourists than the rest of Tuscany, making it a perfect quiet getaway from crowded tourist destinations. Since it touches the border of Lazio, it offers an ideal opportunity to experience this remarkable part of Tuscany during your sojourn in Rome. Spend a wonderful day exploring this unique region of Tuscany on our Pitigliano and Sovana tour from Rome.

PITIGLIANO AND SOVANA TOUR PRICE LIST

For up to 2 Persons from Rome Hotel: 450 EUROS
For up to 4 Persons from Rome Hotel: 500 EUROS
For up to 6 Persons from Rome Hotel: 550 EUROS
For up to 8 Persons from Rome Hotel: 600 EUROS

** You may also do a QUICK PRICE CHECK using the Price Check & Booking Form on the Right Side of this page.  Once you receive the PRICE QUOTE based on the information you input, you may proceed to SUBMIT your Tour Request.

*** Dates on the Booking Form Calendar that are NOT Selectable, are NOT AVAILABLE.

 

Pitigliano is an evocative ancient town built on a promontory with medieval volcanic stone buildings and terracotta roofs stacked one on top of the other giving the appearance to have organically grown out of the rocky cliff they stand on. Towering over the steep ravines grooved by three rivers that meet nearby, Pitigliano is a sight to behold.

Pitigliano’s heritage is a source of pride for the locals. Remains of its prehistoric establishment are evident in the tombs and caves along its city wall and nearby Etruscan necropolis. Pitigliano inherited its name, Petilia Gens, from the ancient Romans who combined the names of the settlement’s alleged founders:  Petilio and Celiano.

The centuries-old medieval houses, attractive small squares, and narrow pedestrian-friendly winding lanes wide enough for the passage of carts plunge you back into the medieval era of the lords, dukes, and counts that ruled this town and walked on these same streets. Appreciate free time on your own to explore Pitigliano and take in its authentic medieval atmosphere.

In Pitigliano, you will find a variety of unique and inviting shops that sell jewelry, ceramics, delicatessens, olive oil, wine, and the local treat: Sfratto di Pitigliano. The wine of the region has few rivals, which you may enjoy a glass with your lunch at a local ristorante.

Discover the ancient Jewish ghetto on Via Zuccarelli and see why Pitigliano is referred to as "Little Jerusalem".  During your free time of exploration, may visit the Jewish Ghetto and see the synagogue built in 1598, centuries-old underground rooms carved from tuffa rock that served as an ancient wine cellar, an Azzime Bakery, and other examples of everyday life of Pitigliano's Jewish community that dates back to the 15th century.

• Admission tickets to "La Piccola Gerusalemme" / Little Jerusalem are approximately 5 Euros per person. The site is closed on Saturdays, on Jewish holidays, and on Christmas Day.
• Learn more about Pitigliano’s history, and why it’s referred to as Little Jerusalem towards the bottom of this page.
  
  

For an informative in-depth experience in Pitigliano, you may also book a local English-speaking Licensed Tour Guide for a 2-hour private guided tour of Pitigliano, and discover the rich history and culture of this remarkable town. Let us know if you are interested in a Private Tour Guided Tour of Pitigliano, and we will gladly provide you with Tour Guide Fees and booking information.

After your visit and lunch in Pitigliano, you will join your driver and continue to your next destination: Sovana.

Surrounded by butterscotch medieval buildings resting on ancient 8th-century foundations and terracotta brick pavement laid out in the traditional herringbone pattern, Sovana’s lovely Piazza del Pretorio is considered one of the top 100 most beautiful squares in Italy. 

In this tiny village, you will discover the 8th-century church of Santa Maria, the Palazzetto dell’Archivio, the Loggia del Capitano, and the Palazzo del Pretorio.

Relish a stroll through this tiny hamlet along its narrow lanes where you will discover inviting shops, cafes, and ancient medieval stone buildings.

Built upon what’s believed to have been the original site of the Etruscan acropolis, stands the 11th-century Romanesque and Gothic Cathedral of St Peter renowned for its sculptural decoration and architecturally harmonious interior. The cathedral’s remarkable marble doorway is adorned with mysterious symbolic motifs such as a siren with double tails, human figures constructed in spirals, floral patterns, and a series of geometric ornamentation in bas relief associated with medieval spiritualism.

On the opposite side of the village discover the ruins of the Aldobrandesca Fortress whose fortified tower was part of the defense walls.

• Learn more about the history of Sovana by reading further below.

Following a stroll through this charming village, you will once again join your driver for a relaxing drive through the Maremma countryside. Your delightful day tour to Pitigliano and Sovana concludes with your arrival at your hotel in Rome.

Thank you for booking our Pitigliano and Sovana Tour from Rome, and choosing Stefano’s RomeCabs for your tours in Rome and beyond. We look forward to seeing you in Italy soon!

Important Information

PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION BELOW AND ACCEPT THE   TERMS OF SERVICE  AND PRIVACY POLICY BEFORE BOOKING.
 

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Payment for this Pitigliano and Sovana Tour can be made in EUROS directly to your driver on the Date of Tour, or prepaid in advance via PayPal or Credit Card online when you confirm your Tour.

If you wish to PREPAY you may do so online when CONFIRMING your BOOKING by SELECTING your preferred option of payment.

CANCELLATION POLICY

We kindly ask that cancellations be made at minimum 7 days prior to Date of Tour.

Cancellations must be made via email and confirmed by our office staff so we have your cancellation request on record. We do not accept cancellations by telephone, text message, or 3rd party.

** Cancelations for PREPAID SERVICES will be refunded the Net Rate we receive from your prepayment.  Net Rate: actual service price minus PayPal/Credit Card fees retained by PayPal/Credit Card as they do not reimburse us the fees they retain from your payment.

YOUR PITIGLIANO AND SOVANA TOUR DRIVER

This Pitigliano and Sovana tour from Rome by car provides an English-speaking Private Driver who is not a Licensed Tour Guide.

Italy's laws prevent Drivers from acting as guides and accompanying guests away from the vehicle to sightsee. Only licensed tour guides are lawfully authorized to accompany guests to sightsee on foot.  Drivers can provide basic touristic information while at the vehicle, but drivers are obliged to remain with the vehicle while guests sightsee on foot.

On this tour, you will SELF-TOUR on your own while you visit the towns.

PRIVATE GUIDED TOUR OF PITIGLIANO

Upon request, we can reserve a local English-speaking Licensed Tour Guide for a 2-Hour informative private guided tour of Pitigliano. 

If interested in reserving a private tour guide for your Pitigliano visit please let us know via Email and we will gladly provide you with tour guide fees and information.

MEETING POINT TO MEET YOUR DRIVER

For day tours from Rome, your private driver will meet you inside the lobby of your hotel or in areas permitted by hotels.

For Apartments or B&Bs without a lobby, your driver will meet you outside the main entrance of your Pick Up Address.

* If your hotel or accommodation is on a street or in an area restricted to vehicle traffic, your driver will park as close as lawfully possible and meet you on foot at your Address, and accompany you to your parked vehicle.

ADMISSION TICKETS to Places of Interest in Pitigliano and Sovana:

 Admission tickets to visit "La Piccola Gerusalemme" / Little Jerusalem: 5 EUROS per person. 
The site is closed on Saturdays, Jewish holidays, and Christmas Day.

 Museum of Orsini Palace in Pitigliano:  5 EUROS Per Person

Cathedral of St. Peter in Sovana - 2.50 EURO Per Person
(Or, Combo Ticket at 6 EUROS Per Person for both Orsini Palace in Pitigliano and St Peter in Sovana)

*** 1 TICKET for 2 ENTRANCES: 6 EUROS Per Person (Ask at the reception of the Orsini Palace Museum)

• Museum of Orsini Palace (Pitigliano)
• Cathedral of Saint Peter (Sovana)

St Peter Cathedral in Sovana: Openings Hour in the afternoon are 14:30 - 19:00 
In January & February, the Cathedral is open only on Saturday and Sunday

** TICKET PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE AND CANNOT BE GUARANTEED

A BRIEF HISTORY OF PITIGLIANO:

Pitigliano’s history goes back 10,000 years to the distant pre-historic Neolithic era and continued through the Bronze age into the Etruscan civilization when it became a thriving Etruscan community around 500 BC before being taken over by the expanding ancient Roman empire.

In the Middle Ages, Pitigliano was ruled by the Aldobrandeschi family, and during the Renaissance, the town’s splendor grew under the governance of the noble Roman family Orsini and later the Medici dynasty.

Centuries of being under the control of these rulers are evident by the impressive architecture they left behind. The Orsini fortress built to defend the town and Palazzo Orsini are now museums, and the Medici Aqueduct that was used to transport water into the center of town has become the symbol of Pitigliano.

PITIGLIANO: LITTLE JERUSALEM

Pitigliano is also known as Little Jerusalem (Piccola Gerusalemme) after the large Jewish population that settled here during the 15th century primarily made up of people escaping persecution in Rome during the Counter-reformation. The Jews of Pitigliano transformed one of the caves into a Passover matzoh bakery, the “forno delle azzime”. With the help of their Christian neighbors, they also escaped Nazi captures.

In Pitigliano, you will discover a Jewish ghetto on Via Zuccarelli that includes a restored Synagogue built in 1598 that is once again open to the public for worship and visits. Also open to the public is the Jewish Cemetery, the rock-hewn cellars where Kosher wine is produced, the unleavened bread oven, the Kosher butcher, and the ritual baths for women.

In the Jewish Ghetto, you will also find a traditional local sweet in the shape of a baton named “Sfratto di Pitigliano”, or the “Eviction of Pitigliano” made of a delicious combination of walnuts, honey, nutmeg, orange peel, and anise inside a crisp doughy shell.

The unusual name and shape of this delicious treat come from Pitigiliano’s unique history when according to tradition Cosimo II de Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, enacted an edict forcing the Jews of Sovana, Sorano, and Pitigliano to leave their homes and move into the ghetto of Pitigliano. A century later, the Jews of Pitigliano created this sweet and intensely flavored delicacy to commemorate the eviction that was announced by messengers who knocked on their doors with batons.

BRIEF HISTORY OF SOVANA

Surrounded by ancient medieval walls, Sovana’s unique heritage traces back to pre-history. Earliest settlers of this beautiful Marreman hilltop village date from the Neolithic Age to the Bronze Age. Eventually, this area was settled by the mysterious Etruscan civilization and later it became a Roman colony named  Suana. A clear testament of Sovana’s ancient past is the distinct Etruscan Necropolis nestled in the countryside just outside of town in the Fiora Valley.

When you arrive in Sovana you’ll feel as if you’ve entered the pages of a fairy tale book set in the Middle Ages. Standing on only a half a mile tuff spur, Sovana was an important center during the middle ages, became the local bishop’s seat, and was ruled by counts and lords of the Maremma from the Aldobrandeschi to Orsini and the Medici. It survived wars, sackings, and depopulation caused by malaria. Today, this quiet and charming hamlet is an exceptional example of a medieval town.