Sovana is a village of 100 inhabitants in the Maremma district of southern Tuscany, 15km from Pitigliano, with a medieval main street lined with unchanged architecture, an extraordinary collection of Etruscan rock-cut tombs in the surrounding valleys, and a cathedral that contains one of the finest Romanesque-Gothic ciborium (altar canopy) in central Italy. It was the birthplace of Pope Gregory VII (Hildebrand of Sovana, 1020-1085), the pope who made Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV stand barefoot in the snow at Canossa for three days seeking forgiveness. As medieval power plays go, this remains one of the most dramatic. As medieval villages go, Sovana is one of the least visited extraordinary ones in Tuscany.
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The Etruscan Necropolis of Sovana
The countryside around Sovana contains one of the most significant Etruscan necropolises in Tuscany, hundreds of rock-cut tombs dating from the 7th to the 1st century BC, spread across multiple valleys in the volcanic tufa (tuff) landscape. The most famous individual tomb: the Tomba Ildebranda (4th-3rd century BC), a temple-front tomb with columns, entablature, and all the elements of a Greek temple carved directly from the living rock, the facade standing approximately 12 metres high. It is one of the most dramatic Etruscan structures anywhere. The Vie Cave, the Etruscan sunken roads, carved through the tufa to depths of 10-20 metres, are an extraordinary landscape experience: walking through these narrow canyons with the rock walls towering above, carpeted in ferns and moss, completely silent, is one of the most atmospheric walks in Tuscany. The whole site (Parco Archaeologico di Sovana, combined ticket €5) takes 2-3 hours to walk thoroughly.
The Medieval Village
The main street of Sovana (Via di Mezzo, effectively the only street) runs from Piazza del Pretorio at one end to the Cathedral at the other, a distance of about 200 metres. The buildings that line it are medieval and essentially unchanged: the Palazzo Pretorio (12th century civic hall, now a small museum of Etruscan and medieval finds), the church of Santa Maria (11th century, with an extraordinary ancient ciborium, a stone altar canopy of Lombard carving, one of the oldest in Tuscany), and at the far end, the Duomo di San Pietro (12th-14th century, Gothic facade, with the bishop's throne and the sacristy of Lombard-Carolingian stonework). All of this can be seen in 90 minutes. None of it is crowded. The village has a few restaurants, a bar, and a remarkable absence of souvenir shops. This absence is Sovana's primary quality.
Questions About Sovana
How do I get to Sovana?
By car: Sovana is 15km from Pitigliano (itself extraordinary, see below), 50km from Grosseto, 80km from Siena. No public transport serves the village, a car is absolutely required. The SP22 road from Pitigliano is well-signed and takes 20 minutes.
Is Sovana better than Pitigliano?
Pitigliano is more dramatic visually, the cliff-top town built on volcanic tufa looks impossible from the approach road. Sovana is more substantial historically and archaeologically. The combination (half-day in Pitigliano, half-day in Sovana with the Etruscan tombs) is the correct program for the area. Adding Sorano (the third of the "tufa towns," 10km away) completes what Tuscans call the "three cities of the Maremma" circuit.
When is the best time to visit Sovana?
April-May for the wildflowers in the Vie Cave. October for the autumn colors in the valley and the lower tourist pressure (already minimal). Avoid the heat of July-August for the outdoor tomb walks, the Vie Cave retain cool air but the open sections can be warm. The archaeological park is open year-round. The museums in the village follow seasonal hours.
What is the connection between Sovana and Pope Gregory VII?
Hildebrand of Sovana, born here around 1020, became Pope Gregory VII in 1073 and immediately initiated the Investiture Controversy: the argument over whether the Pope or the Holy Roman Emperor had the right to appoint bishops and abbots. In 1076, he excommunicated Emperor Henry IV. Henry, facing rebellion from his vassals who could now legitimately defy an excommunicated emperor, had no choice but to submit. In January 1077, he stood barefoot in the snow outside the castle of Canossa for three days until Gregory granted him absolution. It was the most complete public humiliation of a medieval emperor by a pope, and it was engineered by a man from this tiny village in Tuscany. The church of Santa Maria in Sovana has a plaque marking the connection.
Curiosità su Sovana e la Maremma
La Maremma toscana fu per secoli una delle aree più malariche d'Italia, le paludi costiere e i stagni dell'entroterra rendevano la zona quasi inabitabile durante i mesi estivi. I butteri (i mandriani a cavallo della Maremma, equivalenti italiani dei cowboys) gestivano le mandrie di bestiame durante i periodi sicuri e si ritiravano sulle colline d'estate. La bonifica integrale della Maremma fu completata solo nel dopoguerra, prima, la popolazione era sparsa e dispersa. Questo spiega perché i villaggi della Maremma come Sovana rimasero piccoli e isolati per secoli anche in presenza di un patrimonio storico straordinario. La malaria come fattore di storia demografica è una delle cose che i libri di storia dell'arte raramente menzionano quando spiegano perché certi luoghi bellissimi dell'Italia centrale sono rimasti "fuori dai circuiti" fino al XX secolo. Vedi anche: Tuscany · Pitigliano · Grosseto.
