GROSSETO, TUSCANY, ITALY
PITIGLIANO
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GROSSETO, TUSCANY, ITALYPITIGLIANO
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Pitigliano lies in the southern corner of Tuscany near the border with Lazio. It's about 75 km from Grosseto (the shorter route is that goes through Istia d'Ombrone, Scansano and Manciano) and about 110 km from Siena (along the via Cassia, go through Monteroni d'Arbia, Buonconvento, San Quirico d'Orcia, near Ponte a Rigo turn to right direction Sorano). | ||
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Pitigliano is one of the most scenographic villages of Tuscany. In particular arriving from the direction of Manciano, along road n° 74, in correspondence of the curve in front of the church of the Madonna delle Grazie is a scenographic vision of the town (particularly beautiful is in the early afternoon, with the sun to the shoulders) that raise majestic on a tufaceous rock, between the torrents Lente and Meleta. The houses of the town are built on the edge of the cliff forming with it a sole body and a whole somewhat picturesque. The cliff of Pitigliano is encircled from three sides from ravines that are full of caves dug in the tufaceous rock. |
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Pitigliano has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, subsequently, beginning from 8th century BC had center an Etruscan settlement, of such presence still remains a short part of walls, in great blocks of tufa, near Sovana Gate (Porta Sovana). In the area around Pitigliano, to testify ulteriorly the Etruscan presence are also the numerous necropolis. It was roman city and in the Middle Ages became feud of the Aldobrandeschi and from 1293 of the Orsini, under the Orsini, Pitigliano became the main center of the homonymous County, became episcopal center, supplanting Sovana, and then was named city. With the extinction of the Orsini family, became feud of Pietro Strozzi and then of Cosimo I de' Medici. At the beginnig of 17th century (1608) it entered to make part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
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After to have admired the wonderful view of Pitigliano from the Church of the Madonna della Grazie, along the road that arrive from Manciano, we entered in the historical center from the Petruccioli square (from the terrace a beautiful vista on the medicean aqueduct) crossing the Gate of the southern bastion of the Rocca. The Rocca, of aldobrandesca origin, was restructured between 1543 and 1545 from Antonio da Sangallo the Young, that made build two polygonal plant bastions (today transformed in private houses), in substitution of the old circular towers. |
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The historical center develops on three main streets (via Vignoli, via Roma and via Zuccarelli), nearly parallels, connected from a dense network of alleys. After to have crossed Garibaldi square where can be noticed the two stairs that carried to the bastions of the citadel, we flank the arched of the medicean aqueduct (built between 1636 and 1639 on 16th century plan (1545) of Antonio da Sangallo the Young, the ancient aqueduct of Pitigliano is formed from two large arches supported from an enormous pillar in blocks of tufa, going back to the medicean period, and from thirteen small arches realizes in the lorenese period. The scenographic construction raise to peak on the cliffs of tufa. The three fontains in the adjacent square of the Republic constitute the terminal of the aqueduct) and we entered in the large square of the Republic dominated from the Orsini Palace, also of aldobrandesca origin, it was restructured from the Orsini between the end of the 15th and the first half of 16th century. Currently it belongs to the Episcopal Curia and it's the seat of the Diocese of Pitigliano, Sovana and Orbetello. Palazzo Orsini accommodates two museums: the Archaeological Civic Museum and the Museum of Palazzo Orsini, united to the Library and the communal historical Archives and the diocesan Library and historical Archives. Externally the Palace has a characteristic tower, the gateway is found to the term of a ramp, from which is approached the inner courtyard with a six arched porch, a hexagonal column well is found near the portal of access to the Palace, the Portal is carved in travertine and today is the entrance of the Museum. Continuing in via Roma we arrive in the square San Gregorio, where is the Cathedral, with 18th century facade, the inside has a unique aisle. On the right side of the Cathedral is the Open Gallery of the Palace of the Community and in front is the “Monument to the progeny Orsina”. |
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Behind the Cathedral it's the characteristic Jewish Ghetto. Infact beginning from 14th century and then after the definitive expulsion of the Hebrew from the Papal State in 1569, numerous Hebrew families found shelter in Pitigliano, where a numerous Jewish community was forming. The Jewish Ghetto occupies the zone between the Cathedral and the Church of Santa Maria and is characterized from small and tightened streets, from the sinagogue of 16th century, restored in 1995 after years of abandonment, from the Archives, the Jewish School and the furnace; outside from the city on the road towards Manciano is the small Hebrew cemetary. Continuing from the Cathedral along via Gen. Orsini we reached the beautiful Church of Santa Maria, perhaps the most ancient of Pitigliano (12th century), it was restructured between the end of the 15th and the beginning of 16th century and shows a 16th century facade, the inside ia a three aisles with frescoes of senese school. Beyond the church is the Porta di Sovana from where we can admire another beautiful view on the houses of Pitigliano and where can be recognized parts of wall Etruscans. |
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Little outside the town (approximately 800 meters) on the road toward Sorano, on the top of a hill, can be visited what remains of the Orsini Park with rocky statues and seats digs in the tufa. Always on the road that go to Sorano, little outside Pitigliano are the rests of the Church and of the Convent of San Francesco, built in 1522 for wanting of the Orsini on plan of Antonio da Sangallo the Young, of the church, destroyed from a fire in 1911, remains only the perimetrical walls and three lateral chapels, while of the convent still remains a part of the cloister leaning to a country house. In the outskirtses of Pitigliano are numerous the so-called “Vie Cave”, deep roads obtained cutting the tufacean rocks. Some “Vie” exceed the length of one kilometer, with high walls until 20 meters. The main are that of the Gradone (where it's an interesting open air didactic-informative Museum), of S. Giuseppe, Fratenuti, S.Rocco and the Madonna delle Grazie. Deserves a visit also the archaeological Area of Poggio Buco that accommodates Etruscan tombs of 8th- 7th century BC. |
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WHERE TO STAY IN PITIGLIANO:SEARCH for HOTELS and ACCOMMODATIONS IN PITIGLIANO (with guest reviews) |
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USEFUL LINKS:
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WHAT TO SEE IN THE AREA:Sorano, Sovana, Manciano, Monte Amiata, Magliano in Toscana, San Bruzio, Scansano, Saturnia. |
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