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Sorano is a small medieval town built on tuff rocks in the province of Grosseto/Tuscany.

The Vie Cave through the rather narrow, high gorge is definitely worth the effort. These are historic hollow ways, thousands of years old, carved into the rock by the Etruscans. Their purpose remains unclear to this day: perhaps they were communication and supply routes, or perhaps mystical cult sites.

beautiful hamlet with a wonderful view

wonderful village dug into the tuff

Is cut deeply into the underlying volcanic rock, excavated in ancient times and used as an alternative route to the Via Cava San Giuseppe, which connects the towns of Pitigliano and Sov.ana. Along the path, in addition to countless botanical species, you can also observe an underground columbarium. Inside, the many niches in the walls were used to keep pigeons for breeding purposes during the Renaissance At the top of the path, which winds through the vegetation, there is a shrine dedicated to SS. Annunziata. The structure is crowned by a simple profile lintel, in them you can still draw traces of overlapping religious images. From the artificial terrace to the left of the altar you can observe an ancient hermitage (16th century). In the seventeenth century the care of the Via Cava was organized by the Confraternity of SS. Sacramento Pitigliano, which in addition to keeping the Via Cava itself in charge, held religious ceremonies related to the equinox on March 25, the day dedicated to the Annunciation and the beginning of the liturgical cycle. The traditional celebration includes young people lighting small fires along the path and starting the procession to the church of S. Mary now to the church of S. Rocco in Pitigliano. In 1785, due to the "instability of the religious structure", the Confraternity abandoned the care of the Via Cava and the procession, but the ancient path remains today and is a popular route used by many tourists and trekking enthusiasts.

The Vie Cave, sometimes also called Cavoni, form a suggestive road system from the Etruscan era that connects various settlements and necropolises between Pitigliano, Sovana and Sorano. They mainly develop between steep tuff rock walls, some of which exceed twenty meters in height. In Roman times, these streets became part of a road network connected to the main trunk of the Via Clodia, an ancient road that connected Rome to Saturnia, passing through the city of Tuscania and branching off from the Via Cassia in Lazio. The Via Cava di San Giuseppe is one of the most evocative in the area, as well as the longest, leading up to Pitigliano. This street is associated with the traditional torchlight procession of San Giuseppe, which is held on March 19th. The link between ancient pagan rites and the dark atmosphere along the route, which still persists today, dates back to Christian times, when small niches with painted sacred images, known as "devil chasers", were dug to protect travellers.

The Via Cava di San Rocco goes up the opposite side of Sorano, skirting the remains of the church of San Rocco, a religious building in Romanesque style now reduced to ruins that maintain sections of the original wall structures. Behind these remains extends a vast Etruscan necropolis with tombs dug into the tuff. The Vie Cave, dug by the Etruscans about 3000 years ago in the tuff, are still shrouded in mystery regarding the technique used to sculpt the rock so precisely and vertically. This street represents the most important of the Vie Cave around Sorano, as it guided the Etruscans to their necropolis. Incredibly, for over six centuries, from the Middle Ages until 1940, it was the only road that connected the city of Sorano to Sovana. Every horse, cart and traveler had no choice but to travel this steep, damp road between its high walls.

Sorano is located in a suggestive mountainous region immersed in the richness of forests. The medieval village clings to a steep tuff rock called Masso Leopoldino, which dominates the valley of the Lente stream. The tower houses, the winding streets, the open spaces, the alleys and tunnels that intertwine in the heart of the rock give the neighborhood a unique charm. The panorama from the terrace on the top of the cliff offers exceptional views of Sorano, the volcanic gorges and the Lente valley. Over the centuries, Sorano has been the scene of disputes, sieges and wars, earning it the curious nickname of "Italy's match".