Sorano is a town and ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' in the

province of Grosseto The province of Grosseto () is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Grosseto. As of 2013 the province had a total population of 225,098 people. Geography The Province of Grosseto completely ...

, in southern

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, Italy. It is an ancient medieval hill town perched on a tuff outcrop overlooking the Lente River.

History

Sorano was probably inhabited by the Villanovan culture, but the first historical records date to the 3rd century BC, when it was an Etruscan city under the influence of the nearby and more populous Sovana. Little is known about its history during the Roman period, but Sorano reappears in historical records in 862, when a county was founded by Emperor Louis II under the suzerainty of the Aldobrandeschi family. The Aldobrandeschi were among the most powerful feudal lords in southern Tuscany for more than four centuries, until 1312, when Margherita, daughter of Ildibrandino, died without male heirs. Her daughter Adelaide married Romano di Gentile of the Orsini family, who incorporated Sorano into the Orsini domains. The County of Pitigliano and Sorano fought against the

Republic of Siena The Republic of Siena (, ) was a historic state consisting of the city of Siena and its surrounding territory in Tuscany, Central Italy. It existed for over 400 years, from 1125 to 1555. During its existence, it gradually expanded throughout south ...

, but was forced to accept its suzerainty from 1417. It regained full independence in 1556, after Siena was annexed to the Duchy of Tuscany. Due to its strategic position, the fortress was frequently attacked, and it also became the scene of fratricidal conflicts within the Orsini family. In 1604, following the death of Alessandro di Bertoldo, Sorano became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. It was incorporated into the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

in 1860.

''Frazioni''

The municipality is formed by the municipal seat of Sorano and the villages ('' frazioni'') of Castell'Ottieri, Cerreto, Elmo, Montebuono, Montevitozzo, Montorio, San Giovanni delle Contee, San Quirico, San Valentino and Sovana.

Culture

Comedian Jack Benny mentions Sorano in a running gag on both the radio and television versions of '' The Jack Benny Program'', in which Jack has written a song entitled “When You Say 'I Beg Your Pardon,' Then I’ll Come Back to You.” In the gag, each time Jack reaches the lyric “when the swallows at Sorano return to Capistrano,” the song is interrupted by a cast member or guest star questioning how a swallow could possibly fly all the way from Italy to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

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Main sights

*''Rocca degli Orsini'' (Orsini Castle), originally built in the 14th century but completely renovated by Niccolò IV Orsini in 1552. It is considered one of the most important examples of Renaissance military architecture. The structure features two massive angular bastions connected by a curtain wall with a main gate, which is topped with a notable coat of arms and a square tower. Inside the walls are remains of the original core, including a round tower and the former drawbridge, now lost. A cycle of 16th-century frescoes from the Sienese school was recently discovered. *''Masso Leopoldino'', a natural tuff outcrop carved into a fortified panoramic terrace by order of Grand Duke Leopold II. * Vitozza, a cave settlement and fortress. Another castle is in the ''frazione'' of Sovana.

References

External links