For some restaurant addresses in the area you can see the following page - Please keep in mind that obviously we have not visited all the places listed and therefore we cannot give guarantees on prices, quality, speed of service and bathrooms.

Restaurants, pizzerias and taverns near our farmhouse in Saturnia in Tuscany

 

Al Poggio	Poggio Murella	0564 607953
Valle Della Luna	Saturnia - Via Mazzini, 18	0564 601230
Bacco e Cerere	Saturnia - Via Mazzini, 6	0564 601235
Due Cippi da Michele	Saturnia - P.za V. Veneto, 26	0564 601074
Da Caino	Montemerano - Via d. Chiesa 4	0564 602817
Passaparola	Montemerano - Via delle Mura 21	0564 602835
Capriccio	Poggio Morella	0564 607711
La Chiave del Paradiso	Pitigliano - Via Vignoli, 110	0564 614141
Osteria Tufo Allegro	Pitigliano - Via Costituzione, 2	0564 616192
Il Grillo	Pitigliano - Via Cavour, 9	0564 615202
La Porta	Pitigliano - P.za Petruccioli, 1	0564 617088
Guastini	Pitigliano - P.za Petruccioli, 4	0564 616065
Belvedere	Pitigliano - Casone S.S. 74	0564 619249
Trattoria del Corso	Pitigliano – Via Roma, 53	0564 616827
Corano	Pitigliano - S.S. Maremmana - Corano	0564 616112
Trattoria dell'Orso	Pitigliano - P.za S.Gregorio VII, 14	0564 614273
La Vallerana	Vallerana	0564 896050
Il Fontanile dei Caprai	Marsiliana - Fontanile dei Caprai	0564 896526
Piccolo Borgo	Rocchette di Fazio - La Piazza	0564 986173
La Posta	Catabbio - Via Verdi 14	0564 986376
Da Guido	Magliano - Via Roma 18	0564 592447
Da Ghigo	Montiano - P.Cappellini 4	0564 589643
Buratta - Gastronomia	Pod. Dicioccatone - Talamone	0564 885614
Franco e Silvana Specilità pesce	Bivio Montorgiali - Via Scansanese	0564 580214

Montemerano - A pleasant interlude in your holidays on a farm in Saturnia

A 10-minute drive from our farmhouse for agritourism in Saturnia is the charming village of Montemerano which is located on a hill framed by thick olive groves halfway along the Follonata Provincial Road N.10, which leads from Saturnia to Manciano.

This small farming village has kept its medieval appearance. Montemerano was an ancient Etruscan then Roman city. This territory was part of the Aldobrandeschi feud and was subsequently governed by the Republic of Siena.

The Walls These fortifications of the fifteenth century. they are still very beautiful; a small part to the south-east dates back to the Aldobrandeschi era.

San Martino - Beautiful Roman church from the 11th or 12th century, i.e. the period during which the city passed under the control of the Aldobrandeschi.

San Giorgio - Church of the XV century. attached to the walls. The interior was completely remodeled in the Baroque period.

Assumption - Work by Vecchietta. - Bas-relief in polychrome wood made between 1455 and 1465. The Vecchietta painter, but above all a sculptor, was influenced by Donatello. One of his most important works is the fresco in the Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala in Siena. His famous Assumption of Pienza is from 1461, i.e. contemporary with the less important one found in Montemerano. The Assumption of Pienza is a panel with a golden background, typical of the Sienese fifteenth century, commissioned by Pope Pius II himself.
Triumphal arch adorned with two angels holding up a curtain in a theatrical manner.

Saint Peter, by Vecchietta polychrome wooden statue.

Madonna of the Cat Flap.
This Madonna of the cat flap was evidently part of an Annunciation. It was painted around 1450 by an anonymous artist, consequently nicknamed the Master of Montemerano, who was part of the Sassetta circle.
Originally, this work must have been used for a tabernacle or, perhaps, to decorate an organ. It was then used as a warehouse door and perhaps at that time the circular hole from which the popular nickname derives was made in the lower part. It is a relatively modest composition but full of charm enhanced by the atmosphere of this small, ancient, provincial town.

Chorus -
The subjects of the fifteenth century frescoes by an anonymous pupil of Andrea di Nicola - who left two frescoes in the church of Santa Maria in Sovana - are the Epiphany, the Nativity, the Eternal Father, the Madonna, the Massacre of the Innocents, the Evangelists and the Apostles. Epiphany appears to be greatly influenced by Germanic painting and the castles in the landscape are equally very Nordic.

Madonna and Child by Sano di Pietro. - On a throne with St. Peter, St. George, St. Lawrence, St. Anthony of Padua. This 15th-century Sienese painter was very prolific; sometimes his work is of unequal quality. But Montemerano's work is important.

 

A day to discover the beauties of the Maremma must include a visit to Pitigliano, a place where events that have marked the history of this region have taken place.
In the streets of Pitigliano you can also find interesting products and delicacies from the surrounding countryside: Bianco di Pitigliano, sweet Sfratti with honey with walnuts, cheeses and, at the right time, mushrooms.

From our farmhouse in Saturnia in 30 minutes you can reach Pitigliano passing through Sovana or Manciano.

The origin of Pitigliano dates back very far in time, there are traces of a human settlement from the Neolithic era. Pitigliano is an Etruscan city which later became Roman.

In the Middle Ages, Pitigliano depended on Sovana, the main seat of the Aldobrandeschi family.
- 1061. First document in which the church of Pitigliano is mentioned.
- At the beginning of the XII century, the Aldobrandeschi family, fighting against the commune of Siena, asked for the support of Orvieto.
- 1293. With the marriage of Anastasia, the last descendant of the Aldobrandeschi, with Romano Orsini, the ancient Roman family - whose fortune dates back to Pope Celestine III 1191-1198 - settles in Pitigliano.
- From the XIII to the XV century, a long rivalry opposed the Orsini, Guelphs, to the Colonna, Ghibellines. - Under the control of the Orsini, Pitigliano became more important than Sovana and the bishopric was transferred to Pitigliano.
- 15th century Settlement of an important Israelite colony.
- 1702. Birth in Pitigliano of the painter Zuccarelli who belonged to the Venetian school.

The Aqueduct - Great work of art that was built in 1545 by Gian Francesco Orsini
Palazzo Orsini - It dates back to the 14th century, enlarged in the 15th century. by Nicola II Orsini, then modified in the 16th century. under the supervision of the architect Giuliano da Sangallo, author of the convent of Santa Maria Maddalena dei Pazzi in Florence. On the left of the facade a small semi-octogonal bastion leaning against the walls.
The ramp that gives access to the building is preceded by a pillar with the coat of arms of the Orsini family consisting of a bear with a lion's head. Internal courtyard: two pillars decorated with festoons and heraldic motifs.
The courtyard is delimited at the back by a loggia decorated with Ionic style columns. The hexagonal travertine well, also decorated with the Orsini coat of arms, is interesting.
The 15th century entrance door. on the architrave it has two hands holding a steep necklace of spikes.
INTERNAL - Virgin with Child from the school of Jacopo della Quercia. Jacopo is one of the great masters of Sienese sculpture. He is the author of the Gaia source in Siena.

The Duomo - Church with a Baroque facade from the 18th century. and bell tower from the Middle Ages.
In 1509 Pope Julius II granted the church of Pitigliano the status of Collegiate and Nicola III Orsini later financed an enlargement of the building.
In the 18th century, new works were carried out to add 4 chapels, the main altar.
In the choir, 2 canvases by Pietro Aldi, painted in 1885, represent the emperor Henry IV in Canossa and the predestination of Hildebrand.
Renaissance-style travertine pillar dated 1490 with the Orsini emblem.

San Rocco - Late Renaissance facade dating back to 1506; it is decorated in the lower part by four Corinthian-style pillars. Low relief of the XII century. in which a human figure stands out among dragon-shaped monsters symbolizing the human soul attacked by the forces of evil. These terrifying images are not found inside the churches, in the sacred space.

Pitigliano is also beautiful from the outside; the view of the city from Manciano is unforgettable.

Surroundings - Church of San Francesco: built in 1556, by order of Gian Francesco Orsini and designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger.

To return to the San Leonardo farmhouse in Saturnia, you can follow the road that passes through Sovana, a beautiful and interesting medieval village, and further on through Catabbio, a little longer but very beautiful.

 

After a day spent at the pools of Terme di Saturnia or on the golf green, we suggest a trip to visit the village of Sorano.

From our farmhouse in Saturnia you can reach Sorano passing through Sovana or following the Via di Pitigliano. The two roads are both very picturesque, in order not to lose these fascinating panoramas, we recommend that you take one road on the way out, the other on the way back. The village of Sorano, which has kept its medieval character, is of Etruscan origin. Since the 9th century, like the rest of the region, the fortress has been controlled by the Aldobrandeschi family.

In 1293, the Orsini succeeded the Aldobrandeschi. There are no very important monuments in the city of Sorano, but its ancient medieval streets are full of attractions. It is also interesting for the beautiful walls that protected it. The roads dug into the tuff that lead to Sorano are magnificent.

Palazzo Comitale - Residence of the Orsini before they enlarged it by building the Rocca, this building still retains something of its Renaissance elegance thanks to its beautiful portal. The architrave is decorated and adorned with an inscription dedicated to Count Ludovico, son of Nicholas III, captain of the Most Serene Republic of Venice.

Fortezza degli Orsini - It dates back to the 15th century, enlarged later. The door that leads into the central body of the building is adorned with a large monumental coat of arms with the emblems of the Aldobrandeschi and Orsini families. The fortress is made up of a central body, a cylindrical tower, two internal courtyards and three separate forts: Castelvecchio, Castellaccio and Rocchetta.

San Niccolò - Church of Romanesque origin of which very little remains as it has now been transformed into a neoclassical church. Inside is a painting by Vanni representing the crowned Virgin.

Clock Tower - Tuff building erected at the time of the Lorraines, i.e. in the 18th century. At the foot of the tower is a terrace with a magnificent panorama.

To return to the San Leonardo farmhouse in Saturnia, as mentioned before, you can follow the road that passes through Pitigliano or the one that passes through Sovana, both of which cross beautiful landscapes.

 

If, after having taken care of your well-being by using the thermal waters of Saturnia, you wish to visit places that were the scene of ancient events and full of culture, then you can go to Sovana which is a 25-minute drive from our farmhouse in Saturnia.

You can get to Sovana from Pitigliano or directly from Saturnia following the road that passes through Catabbio.

- From the 7th century B.C. the Etruscans occupy this territory, then conquered by the Romans
- In the III century. A.D. Sovana acquires importance by becoming a bishopric
- In the sixth century. Sovana is occupied by the Lombards
- From the 9th century The Aldobrandeschi govern this territory
- 1073-1085. An Aldabrandeschi is elected pope with the name of Gregory VII
- 1270. Margherita Aldobrandeschi marries Guido di Montfort
- 1297. Anastasia, daughter of Margherita, marries Romano Orsini
- 1410. Siena takes control of Sovana
- 1557. Sovana becomes part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany
- 1743. The Lorraines, who succeeded the Medicis, try to revive the economy of the region

The Rocca built by the Aldobrandeschi in the 11th century. on Etruscan foundations, then rebuilt in the XIII century. and restored in 1572.

The Via di Mezzo or Via del Pretorio connects the Rocca to the Piazza del Pretorio, it has traces of the terracotta flooring of the 16th century

Praetorian Palace of the twelfth century. with coats of arms of the Sienese commissioners. Inside, the Audience Hall with a fresco of the Madonna of the Sienese school of the fifteenth century

Santa Maria church with 3 naves built in the XII century. and bell tower of the seventeenth century. - Proto-Romanesque ciborium - Unique marble aedicule in Tuscany. - Madonna with Child fresco from 1508, the year in which Michelangelo began the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel

St. Peter and Paul Cathedral (Duomo) - The diocese of Sovana existed from the 6th century. Pre-Romanesque construction with crypt divided into naves by columns with large capitals under the church.
The cathedral was probably started by Gregory VII, who was born in this city. The structure of the monument seems to go back to the 11th century.

In the thirteenth century. vaults were added which caused static damage to the building.
The central nave is surmounted by a hemispherical dome protected by an octagonal body.
Historiated capitals of the Longobard school are rather coarse, but interesting. Clear resemblance to various cylindrical bell towers in the Arezzo-Sienese area (Paccina and Corsignano) place the construction in the 10th century.
The buttresses leaning against the walls in an attempt to support them testify to the subsidence due to the addition of the vaults.

The surroundings of Sovana
The most interesting Etruscan tombs are located about 2.5 km away. from the city of Sovana; they are dug into the tuff. The most important and best preserved are the Tomb of the Siren and the Ildebranda Tomb in the form of a temple from the 3rd or 2nd century. B.C. which is located on the road that leads to Saturnia.

To return to the San Leonardo farmhouse in Saturnia, if you passed through Catabbio on the outward journey, we advise you to return following the Pitigliano road to be able to admire this beautiful town perched on a tuff spur.