Post Cruise Pitigliano and Sovana Tuscany Tour from Civitavecchia

highlights

• Post Cruise Tour from Civitavecchia to Tuscany’s region of Maremma
• 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 Pitigliano, the remarkable ancient town that rises out of the rocky cliff upon which it was built
• Wander deep into Pitigliano’s history-steeped streets lined with authentic medieval palazzi
• shop at enticing boutiques and artisan shops for a special souvenir or treasured gifts for love ones at home
• Indulge in local delicacies such as the Sfratto di Pitigliano
• Visit the delightful village of Sovana whose unique heritage extends all the way to pre-history eras
• Stroll the delightful village square and along pedestrian-friendly lanes
• Admire ancient churches, browse inviting boutiques, and revel in the peaceful atmosphere
• Our Shore Excursions are private just for you and your party for optimal tour enjoyment, comfort, and privacy.
• Our Civitavecchia excursions are easy with convenient pick-up & drop-off on the pier next to your Ship
• Your Luggage will travel safely with you inside your vehicle’s luggage compartment
• Appreciate a higher level of personal attention and flexibility on our private Italy excursions 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

Buongiorno and welcome to Stefano's RomeCabs!  The excitement of your cruise continues on your disembarkation day with a glorious day in Tuscany!  Delight in a post-cruise tour from Civitavecchia to Tuscany exploring Maremma, the rustic region of Tuscany that extols wide open spaces, verdant hills, fertile valleys, Italy’s traditional cowboys (butteri), delicious food, excellent wines, and enchanting medieval towns.

Maremma is less touristy than the rest of Tuscany, making it an ideal serene getaway from the usually crowded tourist destinations. Since this region of southern Tuscany touches the border of Lazio, it offers the wonderful possibility to tour Tuscany on your debarkation tour from Civitavecchia.

Your Stefano’s RomeCabs professional driver will pick you up on the Pier next to your cruise ship in Civitavecchia and take you on a relaxing journey through the rustic countryside into Tuscany towards Sovana and Pitigliano, impressive destinations that offer a perfect snapshot of the Middle Ages with an abundance of history, beauty, and charm.  Your Post Cruise Pitigliano and Sovana Tuscany Tour from Civitavecchia concludes with your drop off at your hotel accommodation in Rome.

Post Cruise PITIGLIANO AND SOVANA Tour from Civitavecchia:

For up to 2 Persons from Rome Hotel: 520 EUROS
For up to 4 Persons from Rome Hotel: 600 EUROS
For up to 6 Persons from Rome Hotel: 650 EUROS
For up to 8 Persons from Rome Hotel: 730 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.

*** Please include in the Special Request Box of the booking form your DROP OFF HOTEL NAME, ADDRESS in Rome

PITIGLIANO

Pitigliano is a fascinating ancient town that sits on a promontory and is comprised of tuffaceous medieval stone buildings stacked one on top of one another giving them the appearance of rising from the rocky cliff upon which it was built.  Dominating the steep ravines that surround it, Pitigliano is truly a sight to behold.

Pitigliano’s unique heritage is a source of pride for the locals. Vestiges of its prehistoric establishment are evident in the rock-hewn tombs and caves that still exist along its city wall. Its current name evolved from its Ancient Roman version, Petilia Gens, derived from the names of its legendary Roman founders:  Petilio and Celiano.

The centuries-old medieval stone buildings, charming small squares, and narrow pedestrian-friendly lanes wide enough for the passage of carts will transport you back in time into the fascinating medieval era of powerful lords, dukes, and counts who ruled this town and walked along these very streets. 

You will enjoy ample free time on your own to explore Pitigliano, browse unique and inviting shops that sell jewelry, ceramics, delicatessens, olive oil, and wine, and indulge in the local treat: Sfratto di Pitigliano. The local wine knows few rivals, and you may enjoy a glass with your lunch of Tuscan delicacies at an inviting local ristorante.

 

You may also visit the ancient Jewish ghetto on Via Zuccarelli and discover why Pitigliano is referred to as "Little Jerusalem". See the Jewish Ghetto and its synagogue that was built in 1598, and multiple centuries-old underground caves carved from tuffa rock that served as an ancient wine cellar, an Azzime Bakery, a kosher butcher shop, a ritual bath for women, and other elements of the everyday life of Pitigliano’s Jewish community from the 15th century.

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

Uncover Pitigliano’s rich history and culture with a knowledgeable local English-speaking licensed tour guide by booking a 2-hour private guided tour of Pitigliano.  Please let us know if you wish to book a Private Tour Guided Tour of Pitigliano, and we will gladly provide you with Guided Tour Fees and booking information.

Following your visit and lunch in Pitigliano, you will join your driver for a short drive to your next destination: Sovana.

SOVANA

Sovana is a delightfully charming historic village comprised of butterscotch medieval stone buildings and terracotta brick pavement laid out in traditional herringbone patterns. Sovana’s lovely Piazza del Pretorio is considered one of Italy’s top 100 most beautiful squares vaunts the picturesque Palazzetto dell’Archivio, Palazzo del Pretorio, the Loggia del Capitano, and the 8th-century church of Santa Maria.

On one farthest end of Sovana, you will discover the 11th-century Romanesque and Gothic Cathedral of St Peter,  well regarded for its sculptural decoration and architecturally harmonious interior. The cathedral’s fascinating marble doorway is embellished with mysteriously symbolic motifs associated with medieval spiritualism. 

On the other end of the village, you will see the ruins of the once formidable Aldobrandesca Fortress which was part of the village’s defense walls.

• Learn more about Sovana by reading further below

Following your visit to Sovana, you will once again join your driver at approximately 3:30 PM  for a relaxing drive through the Tuscan countryside to your hotel accommodation in Rome, aiming to arrive at approximately 5 PM.

Thank you for booking our Post Cruise Pitigliano and Sovana Tuscany tour from Civitavecchia, and for choosing Stefano’s RomeCabs for your Italy private excursions.  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 Post Cruise Pitigliano and Sovana Tuscany tour from Civitavecchia 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 AT CIVITAVECCHIA CRUISE PORT

For Post Cruise Tours from Civitavecchia, your private driver will meet you on the Pier next to your Ship at your scheduled pick-up time holding a sign with the NAME in your reservation.

Please do NOT leave the ship area, and do NOT take a shuttle bus outside the port.

Look for the driver in the same area as ALL private drivers will be waiting for their clients.

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 is too extensive to cover in a brief history description. It merits mentioning that Pitigliano has been a settlement since the pre-historic Neolithic era over 10,000 years ago through the Bronze age into the Etruscan civilization when it grew into a thriving Etruscan community around 500 BC until the Etruscans were conquered by the ever-expanding ancient Romans. The town continued on through the Middle Ages into the Renaissance from which it still retains its architectural characteristics.

Pitigliano’s name was first mentioned in the year 1061 during the Middle Ages, and by the 13th century,  Pitigliano was ruled by the powerful Aldobrandeschi family. The Renaissance era saw the town’s splendor grow under the governance of the noble Roman family Orsini and later the Medici dynasty who left behind a legacy of impressive architecture.

The Orsini fortress which was built to defend the town, and Palazzo Orsini are now museums. The Medici Aqueduct which was used to transport water into the town has become an important symbol of Pitigliano.

PITIGLIANO: LITTLE JERUSALEM

Pitigliano is also nicknamed Little Jerusalem (Piccola Gerusalemme) due to the large Jewish population that settled here during the 15th century when they escaped persecution in Rome during the Counter-reformation. They transformed underground caves into a Passover matzoh bakery, the “forno delle azzime”, a wine cellar, a ritual bath for women, and a Kosher butcher shop. Their Christian neighbors also helped them escape the Nazis.

In Pitigliano, you will also find a traditional local treat uniquely shaped in a baton named “Sfratto di Pitigliano”, or the “Eviction of Pitigliano”. Although the Sfratto di Pitigliano is a tasty mix of walnuts, honey, orange peel, nutmeg, and anise inside a crisp doughy shell, its historical origin is bitter.  In the early 1600s, Cosimo II de Medici who was the Grand Duke of Tuscany enacted an edict forcing the Jews of Pitigliano, Sovana, and Sorano to leave their homes and relocate to the ghetto of Pitigliano. A century later, the Jews of Pitigliano created this special delicacy to commemorate the eviction that was announced by messengers knocking on their doors with batons.

 BRIEF HISTORY OF SOVANA

Sovana’s rich heritage also traces back to pre-historical eras when it was a simple settlement from the Neolithic Age into the Bronze Age. In time, this area was settled by the ancient Etruscans whose presence here has been made evident by the nearby Etruscan Necropolis.  When the ancient Romans conquered the Etruscans during Rome’s expansion across the peninsula, the village became a Roman colony named Suana. 

Upon arriving, Sovana makes you feel as if you’ve entered the pages of a fairy tale book set in the Middle Ages. Built on only a half a mile tuff spur, during the middle ages Sovana grew into a crucial center becoming the local bishop’s seat. Over the centuries Sovana was also ruled by powerful lords of Tuscany from the Aldobrandeschi to Orsini and the Medici.

Sovana survived wars, sackings, depopulation, and abandonment due to malaria. Today, this tranquil and charismatic hamlet is an exceptional example of a well-preserved medieval village.