What is a columbarium at Vitozza?

À Vitozza, a columbarium is a cavity dug into the tuff whose walls are pierced with many small niches, probably intended to house pigeons and doves. The word can be confusing: elsewhere, a columbarium often refers to a funerary monument with niches for urns, but that is not the interpretation favored today for those at Vitozza.

These cavities are found among the caves of the ancient rock-cut settlement, near San Quirico, in the municipality of Sorano. They were long presented as Roman tombs; the hypothesis now accepted is rather that of medieval installations linked to pigeon breeding, whose meat could be eaten or sold. However, the dating and ancient uses are not entirely simple to establish. Vitozza has about 200 grottes, and the columbariums are only one part of it. The site is reached on foot from the center of San Quirico, located about 2 km ; plan on suitable footwear for the path and uneven ground.