Six-Day Guided Tour of Southern Tuscany

Discovering Sorano and heading south to Pitigliano

Inside the ‘Tuff Triangle’, we leave from the Castle and follow one of the Vie Cave. The Vie Cave (excavated roads) are an impressive network of paths linking an Etruscan necropolis and several settlements in the area between Sovana, Sorano and Pitigliano. The paths are trenches in the tuff whose walls resemble vertical cliffs, sometimes over twenty feet high. Their construction may have resulted from centuries of iron-rimmed wheels creating deep ruts in the soft tuff. After passing through Fattoria, we will reach the small village of Sovana.

Dennis writes: “After having visited all the antiquities of this kind known to exist in Etruria, I can truly say that I have seen no place which contains so great variety of sculptured, tombs as Sovana”. After stopping for coffee and a snack, we will the head to Pitigliano along Via Cava San Giuseppe for 2.5 km: “This town stands on the northern limits of the great Etruscan plan… Pitigliano is a place of considerable importance with a large Jewish community led to congregate here, as at Gibraltar… few towns in volcanic Etruria are imposingly situated, and in the midst of finer scenery.”

We leave an area that was once a Papal State, to enter the Grand Duchy of Tuscany!

Activity level: 2
Walk: 13 km
Dinner: Local restaurant
Night: Local hotel

From Pitigliano to Manciano

We start our day with a guided tour of Pitigliano. A Jewish community has been here since the end of the fifteenth century and the town, together with the neighbouring feudal villages, became an important centre of refuge.

“We walked around the old town known as Little Jerusalem in Italy in August. It was very quiet and peaceful, full of character and without all the souvenir and commercial shops you find in a lot of hilltop towns in Tuscany.”
From a 2018 review by Julie

After a coffee at a café, we leave Pitigliano following Via Cava. The road has its own special microclimate and is a place of incomparable beauty! We then follow the provincial road up to the Fiora River. The river springs from the southern flank of the Monte Amiata, near Santa Fiora and was one of the main communication channel in the Etruscan era. To save time, we will travel to Manciano by bus.

Activity level: 3
Walk: 12,5 km
Midday meal: packed lunch
Dinner: Local restaurant
Night: Local Hotel

“Beyond Manciano, on the descent to the Fiora, some tombs and sepulchral niches in the cliffs, and fragments of pottery on the slopes proclaim the site of an Etruscan town.”
George Dennis

From Manciano Castle, you have a gorgeous view of Maremma from the hills to the sea. Dinner – similar to the “Butcher’s Theatre experience” – will be a surprise (please let us know in advance if you are a vegetarian!).

From Manciano to Capalbio

We leave Manciano heading south to reach the plain. The road traverses gently rolling hills as it gradually approaches the sea. Capalbio is a natural balcony overlooking the Maremma providing a spectacular view of the Argentario peninsula and the Tirreno River.

It is interesting to think about what has and what has not changed in Etruria since Dennis’s times. One thing that has definitely changed is the interest in antiquities. When Dennis made enquiries, the locals replied, “Antiquities! Che roba è? What are they?” (Nobody had ever heard of such things in Capalbio).

Activity level: 3
Walk: 15 km
Midday meal: packed lunch
Dinner: Local restaurant
Night: Local Hotel

Towards Argentario – the Gibraltar of Tuscany – to the Island of Giglio

We leave Capalbio by local transportation and arrive in Porto Santo Stefano passing through Ansedonia, near the ruins of the ancient Roman town of Cosa and Orbetello. It is geographically unique: the municipality stretches across a strip of land in the middle of the eponymous lagoon. Famous for its long beaches and beautiful bay, Orbetello is linked to Monte Argentario by Diga Leopoldina, a road built in 1841 along a causeway that divides the lagoon into two sections: the Laguna di Levante and Laguna di Ponente, known respectively as Tombolo della Feniglia and Tombolo della Giannella.

After about 40 minutes, we arrive in Porto Santo Stefano to catch the ferry to Giglio Island (60 minutes). Serafino recently wrote this about the island: ”I often return to Giglio Island because it is such a delight. However, to fully appreciate it, you have to walk: it is an ideal place for trekking”. After a coffee stop in a bar along the small harbour, we will reach Giglio Castello (Giglio Castle) by local transportation (15 minutes). The Castle is actually a fascinating medieval village with massive, towering city walls. Explore the narrow streets, enter the old churches and watch the beautiful view from the scenic overlooks: on a clear day, you’ll be able to see the islands of Giannutri, Elba and Corsica. Try the panficato, a medieval cake that you can find only on this island.

We then head towards Cala degli Alberi. The only way to get there is by following a path with views of the sea on either side. The Hermitage Hotel, located on ancient granite terraces overlooking a small harbour, is surrounded by a large garden with trees and flowers lovingly planted and cared for by the family. Enjoy the view and the intense beauty of the surroundings as the family recount the fascinating history of this unique place.

Back to Porto Santo Stefano and Orbetello

After breakfast and swimming, we can return to Giglio Porto on foot (2 hours) or by private boat (20 minutes). Then we’ll catch the ferry to Porto Santo Stefano arriving in Orbetello Scalo by private bus in the afternoon.

This is the end of your guided tour of Southern Tuscany!