Sorano, a town that flourished in the most prosperous period of the Etruscan age, is a living summary of the good things about ancient Etruscan civilization. Founded on a fortress that the centuries have worn down into more of a natural cliff, and refined by Renaissance architecture, the town is surrounded by imposing walls that made it one of the most secure defensive layers of the Countship of Pitigliano. Sorano belonged to the Aldobrandeschi nobles, who allowed it to evolve as a defensive village, fortifying it with bastions. Even today, one of these still protects the oldest hamlet. Due to its rugged appearance, its clumps of cliffs and houses, and its hidden, picturesque streets, Sorano has been called the “Matera of Tuscany.”