What is Italian tuff and where can you see it in Tuscany?

In Italy, “tuff” generally refers to tufo : a volcanic rock formed from consolidated ash and eruptive debris, soft enough to be cut. In southern Tuscany, you can see it everywhere in the landscape of the Maremma, especially around Pitigliano, Sorano and Sovana : the villages are built on tuff cliffs, and some houses seem to extend the rock itself.

To see it up close, look at the vie cave, those sunken paths carved into the tuff, and the Etruscan necropolises of Sovana. The Città del Tufo Archaeological Park brings together sites around Sovana, Sorano and Vitozza; in Sovana, the Tomba Ildebranda is one of the best-known monuments. Pitigliano and Sorano are about 10 to 15 km by road from each other; Sovana is also very close, but plan on using a car to connect the towns and sites.

The vie cave can be explored on foot, sometimes on uneven and slippery paths after rain: wear shoes with good grip and avoid the intense afternoon heat in summer. To put these landscapes in context, you can also read my guide to Etruscan heritage in Maremma.