pitigliano
 
Tuscany's deep south, on the Lazio border, is its least-touristed corner. PITIGLIANO , the largest town of the area, is best approached along the road from Manciano, 15km west. As you draw close, the town soars above you on a spectacular outcrop of tufa, its quarters linked by the arches of an immense aqueduct. Etruscan tombs honeycomb the cliffs, but the town was known for centuries for its flourishing Jewish community . It has today a slightly grim grandeur, due to its mighty fortress and the tall and largely unaltered alleys of the old Jewish ghetto.

Immediately through the main city gate is Piazza Garibaldi , flanked by the fortress and aqueduct (1543) and with views across of houses wedged against the cliffside. Within the fortress is the Renaissance Palazzo Orsini (Tues-Sun 10am-1pm & 3-7pm; winter closes 5pm; L5000/¬2.58), its lovely interiors filled with jewellery and ecclesiastical ephemera; also in the fortress is the Museo Civico (same hours; L5000/¬2.58), with an interesting collection of Etruscan vases and trinkets. The fortress backs onto Piazza della Repubblica , Pitigliano's elongated main square. Beyond lies the old town proper, a tight huddle of arches and medieval alleys. The left fork, Via Zuccarelli, brings you to Vicolo Manin and the synagogue and attached Mostra Ebraico (Jewish Exhibition; Mon-Thurs, Fri 10am-noon, Sun 10am-noon & 3-5pm; donations). Pitigliano's eighteenth-century synagogue part-collapsed in the 1960s, and lay derelict until renovation in 1995. The grand stone arch, and the stairs leading up to the women's gallery are the only survivors of the old building, along with plaques commemorating visits made by grand dukes Ferdinand III in 1823 and Leopold II in 1829. Although the Jewish community is virtually gone , Florentine, Livornese and even American couples still choose to tie the knot here. Staff are happy to show you around the old ghetto, which includes a bakery on Via Marghera with a Star of David in its barred window. A few minutes' walk beyond, at the western end of town, you can see traces of the Etruscan wall below the Porta Capisotto.

Three RAMA buses daily from Manciano and Grosseto, three from Orbetello and one from Siena drop off on Piazza Pettruccioli just outside the city gate. The tiny tourist office at Via Roma 11 (June-Oct Tues-Sun 10am-1pm & 3-6pm) has maps of the Vie Cave , ancient Etruscan paths that weave between tombs and cliffside caves all around the town. With its untouristed lanes and the drama of its cliff-edge site, Pitigliano makes a memorable overnight stop. The only hotel is Guastini , Piazza Petruccioli 4 (tel 0564.616.065, fax 0564.616.652, www.laltramaremma.it ; L60,000-90,000/¬30.99-46.48), with a good restaurant ; also check out the award-winning mid-priced Osteria Il Tufo Allegro , Vicolo della Costituzione 1 (closed Tues).