Pitigliano lies in the green Etruscan hills of the Maremma, the most southern part of Tuscany. The historic center stands on a protruding tuff rock and still demostrates remains of an aquaduct. The history of the town stretches back to the Etruscans in pre-Roman times and even today Etruscan graves and pathways carved into the tuff beneath the town point to these ancient peoples.
The of Pitigilano, in southern Tuscany, town is situated on a steep tuff rock (a hardened type of volcanic magma), 313 metres above sea-level. Not far from Pitigliano and its vacation rentals is Lake Bolsena, a huge water-filled crater and the largest Italian lake.
Southern Tuscany, a beautiful place to look for a vacation rental villa, was once one of the most important centres of the Etruscans. There are numerous cave-tombs of that period around Pitigliano, caves cut deep into the tuff, that are today used as cellars and sheds. Of further interest is the Jewish history of Pitigliano.
In the 30`s the situation of the Jews deteriorated. By luck and good fortune as well as the assistance of some Italians, who risked their lives, apparently all the Jews of Pitigliano survived. Today there is no Jewish community any more, but the cultural heritage is maintained. You can visit a small museum in the old ghetto area of the town. Not only does it offer a glimsp of the Jewish livestyle, but also a great opportunity to see the catinas carved in Tuff.
The mostly volcanic mountainous area is called "Alta Maremma" (Upper Maremma). Most of this area is covered by tuff (in italian: tufo), a volcanic material, that was discharged from volcanoes in prehistoric times. Tuff can be worked quite easily as long as it has had no contact with air that hardens it. Tuff has been used by people living in the area from early times. Today most of the old buildings are gone, and most of the remains are made from hollowed out tuff.
As a well known archaeologist once said: There is nothing that lasts longer than a hole in the ground.
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