The towns of Pitigliano, Sorano, Manciano, and Civita di Bagnoregio lie balanced on the crests of steep Italian hills, built into the tufa (or tuff) bedrock, a soft stone formed from volcanic ash. In the 6th century BC, Etruscans settlements were arrayed along these hilltops, providing ample defense positions above highly arable land. (...)
The towns of Pitigliano, Sorano, Manciano, and Civita di Bagnoregio lie balanced on the crests of steep Italian hills, built into the tufa (or tuff) bedrock, a soft stone formed from volcanic ash. In the 6th century BC, Etruscans settlements were arrayed along these hilltops, providing ample defense positions above highly arable land. Many of the towns still possess underground tunnels and rooms that often extend from the summit to the valley floor. The Etruscans also created the nearby Vie Cave, a system of deep trenches adorned with carved inscriptions, which linked religious sites and a necropolis. The area has since undergone several impressive periods of building; most of the surviving architecture in the hilltop towns dates from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Unfortunately, the soft tuff stone has deteriorated over the centuries and many of the buildings have been destabilized. Natural erosion from wind, rain, and normal climate cycles has also caused landslides. A full 10% of the town of Sorano has disappeared.
