Sorano

From the famous trio “Pitigliano-Sovana-Sorano”, the town of Sorano is perhaps the least known. And yet Sorano, stretched above a tuffaceous cliff overhanging Lente Valley, in the heart of the Maremmano inland, immediately impacts the visitor for the compactness of the dark homes and for their happy contrast with the greenery of the thick woods. Like other centers of the Tuscan-Latium Tuscia, the dark boxes, one on top of the other, and often derived from arcane caves, with their unusual and irregular forms and variable tones with the daytime lights, form a very attractive and harmonious complex. Even though we only have documentation beginning from the 3rd century B.C., (during the era of the Roman conquest of Etruria), Sorano boasts very ancient origins (perhaps Villanovan) and was an important Etruscan settlement. After a long period as a municipium of Urbe, Medieval Sorano fell under the dominion of the Annibaldi first and then the Orsini, both noble families that led the town through continuous and bloody local wars. And the Middle Ages strongly imprinted the historic center, in whose fulcrum is the powerful Orsini Fortress: characterized by a grand semicircular tower, it was an elusive fortress; redone in the 16th century, presents a large courtyard and inside, it houses the Castle Museum, which conserves a distinguished studiolo, embellished by frescoes and grotesques, among which a 16th-century four-part madrigal is visible, composed on the song of Boccaccio’s Decamerone. Another monument worth mentioning is the Church of San Niccolò, Latin-cross pattern and dating back to the 13th-14th century, but tampered with by awkward baroque and 19th-century interventions. Near the church stands the lovely Clock Tower. The streets of Sorano, narrow and animated by small arches, give exciting and unexpected views, most striking is the sudden panoramic opening over the lush surrounding valleys. The homes display additional decorative and architectural elements that are often exquisite, like medieval porches and 16th-century portals. In addition, the walk that leads to the 18th-century terrace of the so-called “Masso Leopoldino” is not to be missed, with the beautiful view over the splendid landscape of Sorano: magnificent scenery, in which you “breathe” a magical atmosphere even for the presence of the mysterious Etruscan remnants, like the numerous columbarium and the spectacular “vie cave”, streets cut deeply into the tufo. From the necropolis to the valleys, protected in an archeological park, you reach here by means of the monumental Porta dei Merli (Door of Merlons), above which you can admire the coats of arms of Cosimo II dei Medici and of Niccolò IV.
It is highly recommended exploring the surroundings of the town, very rich in naturalistic worth and artistic and archeological outcroppings: it is no wonder that the entire communal territory of Sorano, in virtue of the extraordinary cultural and environmental heritage, was put on the list of the 100 world sites of interest of the World Monuments Fund. Beyond the attractive portion of Sovana, the ruins of Montorio, Montebuono, and Montevitozzo castles and the rocky complex of San Rocco, a mix of ruins and caves from various eras, among which is the recognizable little church with 17th-century frescoes: there is an excellent panorama over Sorano. Worth mentioning is the romantic rocky settlement of Vitozza, reachable by an exceptionally fascinating street: you leave your car near a source of the Lente River and cross a long hollow road until emerging in the archeological area; located above a spur and surrounded by thick vegetation, it is entirely scattered with Etruscan caves (around 200), and here you can catch sight of Roman columbarium and medieval fortification remains.