Sovana has one street, 50 permanent residents, a Romanesque cathedral, the birthplace of Pope Gregory VII (the man who humiliated Emperor Henry IV at Canossa in 1077), and the finest Etruscan painted rock tombs in Tuscany. The Necropoli di Sovana includes the Tomba Ildebranda — a temple-tomb carved from the tufa cliff face with columns, pediment, and traces of original painted decoration from the 3rd-2nd century BC. The vie cave (sunken roads carved by the Etruscans through the tufa) connect Sovana to Pitigliano and Sorano through forest corridors 15-20 meters deep. Walking these paths — moss-covered walls, fern canopy, the occasional Etruscan carving in the rock — is one of the most atmospheric experiences in Tuscany. Tuscany → · Maremma →
Plan my Maremma trip →Necropoli Etrusca di Sovana: The Tomba Ildebranda (3rd century BC) — a full temple facade carved from the living rock, with columns and a pediment. Originally painted in bright colors. Nearby: the Tomba della Sirena (a carved relief of a siren/Scylla), and numerous smaller tombs. €5. The via cava di San Sebastiano: A sunken Etruscan road — 20 minutes walking through a tufa corridor to reach the necropolis. The village: Piazza del Pretorio (the main — only — piazza), the Palazzo Pretorio (13th century, coats of arms on the facade), the Romanesque cathedral (Duomo dei Santi Pietro e Paolo — 8th-12th century, with pre-Romanesque capitals), and the birthplace of Ildebrando di Sovana (Pope Gregory VII).
Getting there: car only — 10min from Pitigliano, 8min from Sorano. Free to walk the town. Necropolis €5. Eat: Dei Merli (Piazza del Pretorio — the only restaurant, excellent Maremma cooking, €25-35). Combine with: Pitigliano (10min), Sorano (8min — Orsini fortress, thermal pool), Saturnia free cascades (20min), Maremma coast.