Trip to Pitigliano: the small Tuscan Jerusalem
The city of Pitigliano is located in the province of Grosseto, Tuscany, the cradle of culture of yesterday and today. Not surprisingly, Pitigliano has been included among the most beautiful villages in Italy under the patronage of the National Association of Italian Municipalities, or ANCI.
The region surrounding Pitigliano is typical of the Maremma and the territory ranges from the border with the Lazio region up to the Volsini mountain range, a typical tuff area. The city, in fact, borders to the north with the municipality of Sorano, to the south-east with the Lazio region and, in particular, with the municipalities of Farnese, Ischia di Castro, Latera and Valentano, while to the west we find the town of Manciano.
The height s.l.m. Pitigliano goes from 300 to more than 600 meters related to the area of Poggio Evangelista, on the eastern border with Lazio. Pitigliano is located along the highway 74, therefore it is located halfway between the connection systems of the Tyrrhenian area and those of central Italy. Many tourists, on a journey that includes Pitigliano, include the town of Orbetello, on the coast and Grosseto. Known by the locals, it is the cliff of Pitigliano located between three ravines where there are tufa caves. Enchanting, then, is the view of the rivers that flow at the bottom of the valley or Lente, Meleta and Prochio.
From the climatic point of view, it should be emphasized that Pitigliano is characterized by very low winter temperatures, while during the summer it is possible to suffer from the heat due to the fairly high temperatures; the average annual temperature is about 14 ° C. As far as the history of Pitigliano is concerned, first of all the Etruscans who in the tuff quarries built their houses here and who were present on site from the late Bronze Age, or from the 12th to the 11th centuries BC, were mentioned. The Etruscan presence there was also in the current data center the findings: precisely, we are talking about the remains of walls found in the district known as Capisotto. In an official capacity, however, Pitigliano appears for the first time in a bull that was sent by Pope Nicholas II to the head of the Sovana cathedral in the year 1061.
The Orsini family ruled the County of Pitigliano for several centuries, protecting it from Siena, Orvieto and from the Medici Florence. Only in 1574, in fact, Nicholas IV Orsini had to cede Pitigliano, due to some debts, to the Florence of the Medici, so that it became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Pitigliano, in 1737, passed to the Lorraine and began its tiring recovery phase.
The economy of Pitigliano is mainly linked to the wine of which there is a large production and which attracts many visitors every year. In fact, wine and olive oil are the two products par excellence of the Tuscany region and of Pitigliano, in particular. Discretion is the development of the mining industry, mainly made of fossil flour, pumice and tuff. Fishing is a good source of income and is practiced mostly in the Lake of Mezzano. From a touristic point of view, visits, as we said, are mostly linked to events of an enogastromic nature, with the exception of the presence of some hotels and the usability of a sports facility for tennis and swimming.
Among the events held in Pitigliano, we remember the Torciata di San Giuseppe which takes place annually during the night of 19 March. The event, of ancient origin, is linked to propitiatory rites that mark the beginning of spring and consists of a parade of about 40 hooded figures. The latter, in going up the path that leads from the valley to the center of the village, are equipped with torches, creating a very suggestive atmosphere. With the latter, the hooded male, set fire to the so-called Invernacciu, a puppet made with reeds that symbolizes the winter that dies and leaves to give way to spring. Furthermore, in June, the Infiorata takes place in Pitigliano thanks to which, on the Sunday of Corpus Domini, the center is filled with petals as the procession passes by.
The most crowded month for events is without a doubt September because it is linked to wine. On the occasion, the Wine Festival, during which the traditional wineries party and you can make tastings, but also dine, immersed in the atmosphere of the quaint environment where the tuff is the master, surrounded by music typical of the place. Among the typical dishes of the local gastronomy, the bread gnocchi made with Tuscan bread and wild boar meat, as well as eggs, Parmesan cheese, olive oil and milk, with a pinch of pepper stand out.
The chicken is also typically curled in Pitigliano and should be prepared, according to the classic recipe, with garlic, rosemary, pepper, salt, lemon, vinegar, white wine, extra virgin olive oil, as well as, of course, with chili. Among the desserts of Pitigliano we find the Sfratti, sweets of Jewish origin prepared with flour, nutmeg, eggs, sugar, white wine, honey, walnuts, orange peel and, strictly, the typical extra virgin olive oil of the place. Again, do not forget to taste the so-called “Tortello dolce” that you can prepare by frying it or baking it in the oven, filled with ricotta and cinnamon and flavored with Alchermes liqueur. Among the curiosities, remember that under the current Pitigliano, is located an underground city with cavities that extend up to 100 meters. Here you will find the characteristic cellars of the city that tourists love so much, where important wines are preserved. The tourism of Pitigliano is mostly linked to food and wine events and folklore. A place chosen by lovers of relaxation and the hills, the city offers visitors the opportunity to relax surrounded by nature, so the place is an ideal stop for a couple or a family. Another reason that pushes to Pitigliano lies in its particular cellars where the estimators stop, perhaps inserting the locality in a process that includes several surrounding places where to taste excellent products or to make a tour of the Maremma.