Pitigliano, located in southwestern Tuscany close to its border with Lazio, sits atop a tufa* ridge between Rome and Florence. Evidence suggests the area was home to ancient peoples as early as 2300 BC. The Etruscan tombs and caves throughout the area confirm Pitigliano’s Etruscan roots, and its tunnels also connect Pitigliano to ancient ceremonial sites.
The Beginnings
Pitigliano is most famous for being La Piccola Gerusalemme (The Little Jerusalem). The town was a haven for Jews who escaped the counterreformation campaign of Pope Paul IV and confinement to ghettos in cities like Florence, Ancona, and Siena. Pitigliano, an independent city state, was under the rule of the liberal aristocratic Orsini family which had laissez-faire social policies that allowed the Jewish community to flourish.
