What is the volcanic tuff rock of Sorano?

The volcanic tuff rock of Sorano is a rock formed by the accumulation and then consolidation of ash and fragments ejected during ancient eruptions: it is not cooled lava. In this part of southern Tuscany, the volcanic deposits were later carved by erosion, shaping cliffs, ravines and rocky outcrops. The village of Sorano is built on one of these tuff promontories, above the Lente valley.

This rock is soft enough to be carved, which explains much of the local heritage: cave dwellings, tombs and sunken paths called vie cave. These passages, often associated with the Etruscan era, connected settlements and necropolises; their exact function, however, is not fully established. You can explore some of them in the Città del Tufo Archaeological Park, around Sorano and Sovana. The terrain can be uneven and the shaded passages sometimes damp: bring shoes that hold your feet well. In short, tuff is not just the backdrop of the area: it is also the material that the inhabitants carved and shaped to build their inhabited landscape.