Rocca Aldobrandesca

At the entrance to the town, already visible from the road coming from Sorano/Pitigliano, the Rocca Aldobrandesca and the remains of the fortress stand out above. Built around the 11th century. it still retains part of the tower and walls. The entrance door was also equipped with a drawbridge.

The fortress was built on pre-existing Etruscan structures around the year 1000 as the seat and symbol of the Aldobrandeschi family who dominated these areas and controlled it until the end of the 13th century. During the Aldobrandesco dominion, the fortification was incorporated into the County of Sovana following the division of all the family’s possessions. In 1293 Sovana became part of the Orsini County of Pitigliano, following the marriage between Romano Orsini and Anastasia Aldobrandeschi. However, in this historical period there was a phase of degradation due to the movement of the capital to nearby Pitigliano.

In the early fifteenth century, Sovana was conquered by the Sienese, and became part of the Republic of Siena. Precisely in this period, the fortification was restored after having remained completely abandoned for more than a century.

In the second half of the sixteenth century, Sovana and its fortress became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Cosimo de’ Medici had some renovation works carried out which, however, did not prevent the subsequent abandonment and consequent degradation of the structure.

Today, as mentioned, a tower and a stretch of walls remain clearly visible, partly still equipped with protruding structures with corbels and stone arches, as well as the access door.