Pitigliano view

This walking tour in Tuscany can be personalised to meet your interests and travel dates.

Starting with a transfer in a private vehicle from either Florence or Rome Fiumincino airport, this very special walk you takes through La Tuscia (pronounced Toosha), the Roman name for an extraordinary area which includes the southern border of Tuscany, the Lakes district of northern Lazio and the south-west corner of Umbria.

La Tuscia is dramatically beautiful, set in the volcanic centre of the peninsula and is characterised by rolling downs of black soil, deep basalt canyons, mountain ranges and crater lakes. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times and is one of the cradles of Italian civilisation: six centuries BC it was the heart of the Etruscan Federation and, in the Renaissance, it was the stronghold of the Orsini and Farnese, two of the great papal dynasties. La Tuscia retains many of the glories of its rich past. If you are looking for a truly off-the-beaten walk, this could be the one for you.

The walk starts in the 'three lost villages of Tuscany', finishing at the spectacular Umbrian town of Orvieto, following paths that pass cross the heart of ancient Etruria. On the way you'll pass through three regions (Tuscany, Lazio and Umbria) crossing oak forests, volcanic lakes and stretches of the original stone road that carried pilgrims, merchants and crusader armies from Papal Rome to northern Italy and the rest of Europe. It finishes at Orvieto where you’ll be able to visit two of Renaissance Italy’s masterpieces: the town’s spectacular cathedral and Luca Signorelli's impressive16th century frescos of the Last Judgment, which are in the cathedral.

What's included in this walk?

• six nights accommodation
• all breakfasts and dinners
• recommendations for lunch
• reading lists and historical and cultural notes
• maps and detailed walking instructions
• daily transfers of baggage between hotels
• pick-up from Rome airport or Florence and transfer to Pitigliano on Day 1
• 24 hour backup from local manager

How hard are the walks?

What's the accommodation like?

Tour Cost:

AUD $1,900 per person (single supplement for a double room for single use $250) (approx US $ 1710, SS $225 - subject to daily exchange rates)

Pitigliano, Tuscany	Walkers approaching Orvieto
'The Dying Village'	Lake Bolsena, Lazio
Orvieto Cathedral, Umbria	First Communion, Pitigliano

The Itinerary

Day		Transfer from Rome Fiumincino Airport to Pitigliano in a private car (approximately a two hour drive north). Pitigliano is spectacularly located on basalt cliffs above the Lente River. On the border between Tuscany and the Papal States, the town had considerable strategic importance during the Renaissance and was a haven for outcasts from Rome. It’s dominated by a 16th century castle and a Medici aquaduct.
Day		The first leg is a short but extraordinary walk from Pitigliano to Sovana, following an Etruscan path carved out of living rock three thousand years ago. You will have time in the afternoon (or the following morning) to walk down to the valleys surrounding the village to explore the Etruscan sites. (8 kms, 3 hrs)
Day		The next leg of the walk is to the neighbouring town of Sorano, founded at the same time as Pitigliano and with an equally extraordinary location, staying in a hotel situated in the town's the medieval fortress. (11 kms, 3 hrs)
Day		After a morning exploring Sorano, the next walk is to San Quirco following a shaded stream and a route that originally joined landlocked Orvieto with the coast, visiting on the way the ruins of an abandoned medieval town, swallowed up by forests. Dinner has been organized by the hotel. (11 kms, 2.5 hrs)
Day		Today you walk to Lake Bolsena via the sleepy town of Latera, leaving Tuscany and crossing into Lazio. The walk finishes on the shores of the lake at a tiny trattoria shaded by willows were you’ll be able to have lunch. You will be picked up from here by our driver Luigi and taken around the lake to the town of Bolsena. (15 kms, 4 hrs).
Day		Walk from Bolsena to the marvellous town of Orvieto following for much of the way the original route of a branch of the medieval Via Francigena. On the way you will pass through forest, an Etruscan excavation and then pick up a paved section of the Roman road which will take you to Orvieto. (18 kms, 5 hrs)
Day		Breakfast in your hotel. Orvieto station is on the main Rome/Florence line and you will be able to continue your holiday from there.

For more information on this tour or to make a booking, please get in touch with us.