Case Balotti

This is the tuff country of southern Tuscany, with ravines cut into volcanic rock and a dense network of vie cave around Sorano, Sovana and Pitigliano. The Fiora river valley lies nearby. The area includes the Parco archeologico Città del Tufo around Sorano and Sovana. Pitigliano is the nearest larger hill town in the immediate area, with a substantial historic centre on a tuff spur; farther out, Orvieto and Grosseto are the main larger service towns. Sovana has a Romanesque cathedral and an intact small historic centre, and both Sorano and Sovana are in the Borghi più belli d'Italia network. The area is known for Etruscan settlement remains, rock-cut roads and hill towns built directly on tuff cliffs.