Sorano, Tuscany
A medieval town carved from tuff on the edge of southern Maremma — and where to stay inside it.
Sorano stands on a spur of volcanic tuff above the Lente river gorge, in the quiet southern corner of Tuscany known as the Maremma. Its houses are cut from the same rock they sit on; beneath them run cellars, stables, and the Vie Cave — sunken Etruscan roads, some more than twenty metres deep, carved straight into the stone.
It is a town you stay inside, not above. Palazzo Palloni, built in 1499, is part of the old centre — a few steps from Piazza della Chiesa and the Orsini fortress. This is a short guide to the town, what to see around it, and where to stay when you come.
Inside the palazzo
Two restored apartments inside a single fifteenth-century palazzo, sleeping two to six, with a tuff wine cellar beneath. Book direct for the lowest available rate.
The Boutique Apartment A one-bedroom apartment above the cellar, for two. 
The Piano Nobile A frescoed three-bedroom apartment for up to six. 
La Cantina A tuff cellar seven metres down, for private tastings — by enquiry. In Sorano
Everything here is within a short walk of the palazzo door.
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The Orsini Fortress
The Fortezza Orsini — a fifteenth-century stronghold with angled bastions and underground passages — watches over the town.
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Masso Leopoldino
A levelled rock terrace crowned by a clock tower, with the widest view over Sorano’s rooftops and the gorge.
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Collegiata di San Nicola
The town’s medieval church on Piazza della Chiesa, a few steps from the palazzo.
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The Vie Cave
Sunken Etruscan roads cut into the tuff, some more than twenty metres deep, threading the valleys around the town.
Day trips
Terme di Saturnia
The free Cascate del Mulino — warm sulphur water falling over white travertine terraces — are about forty minutes away by car.
The Saturnia guide →Pitigliano & Sovana
Sorano’s sister tuff towns: Pitigliano on its cliff, once called La Piccola Gerusalemme, and Sovana with its Etruscan necropolis.
The tuff-towns guide →Arriving in Sorano
Sorano is reached by car — roughly two hours from Rome or Florence, about ninety minutes from Grosseto. There is no practical train; we send parking and arrival notes when you book.
How to get to Sorano →Come and stay.
Book either apartment direct for the lowest available rate, or write to us with your dates.