Insediamento rupestre di Vitozza

Vitozza is a rock-cut settlement near San Quirico, with more than two hundred caves in the tuff and remains of fortifications, churches and medieval dovecotes scattered through woodland above the Lente river. Its earliest evidence dates to the eleventh century.

Why it matters

The caves and other remains preserve traces of a settlement that was not rebuilt after it was abandoned. Fortifications and churches stood among the caves, while smaller chambers served as dovecotes. The ridge remains legible as an archaeological landscape.

What to notice

The caves served different purposes. Stables retain mangers, troughs and animal enclosures; dwelling caves on the south-west slope include grain jars, water-collection pits and chimneys; some spaces combine both uses. Small chambers with rows of wall niches, once interpreted as Roman tombs, are now understood as medieval dovecotes. Above the caves are remains of the castle’s fortifications and churches. Cisterns, refuse pits, bed ledges and kneading troughs record daily activities.

Context and history

Vitozza’s earliest evidence dates to the eleventh century, when castles multiplied in this frontier territory. The site belonged to a larger feudal landscape that included Sorano, Pitigliano, Farnese and Mezzano. Cave dwellings continued to serve as homes, stables and stores in later centuries. The date of the settlement’s abandonment is not known; the lack of later construction has left its archaeological layout visible.