Tuscany weekend, Day 3 - Pitigliano

Pitigliano made such an impression on Josh and I when we visited a few years ago, that we wanted to take the kids there. The fact that it is one of the only Italian towns with a Jewish heritage makes it interesting, but it is the architecture of the town itself sitting high up on a rock that makes such a grand impression.

Many Jews found their way to Pitigliano beginning in the 16th century, partly as a result of the fact that they were forced out of the Papal States. As time went on, the Jewish community flourished so that at one point -- at it's peak in 1850 -- it comprised 20% of the total population

of Pitigliano -- very unique in Italy. After the unification of Italy in 1871, Jews were granted legal emancipation and so many left for the larger cities. When the Second World War began, and anti-semitism became rampant, living conditions became unbearable for the Jews amid racial laws and many either emigrated or were deported. However, all of the Jews that remained in Pitigliano survived the War with the help of many kind Italians. Today, only a few Jewish families remain and maintain the memories.

It takes a great deal of effort to get to Pitigliano because it is not near any main roads, so I knew we needed to get an early start. This despite the fact that I felt like I was still in a food-induced coma when I woke. We were shooting to make it back to Rome by 7pm so we could return the rental car to Hertz before the office closed. (We had rented a second car since our Rome vehicle is not a 7 passenger SUV!) Anyways, breakfast did not invite lingering so off we went.

The fact is that the drive to Pitigliano from Grossetto is breathtaking in and of itself. It's too bad we were in a hurry. For 80 kilometers, the road is not straight for more than a 1/4 km at a time. The twists and turns, up and down, are both stressful and fun to drive. But the scenery with the changing colors of the leaves could not have been more beautiful. Then, just as I remembered it, you make a final turn and suddenly, out of nowhere, this amazing town built on a tufa rock on top of catacombs appears. Even my dad was blown away. We stopped to take pictures.

Once we parked, we picked the first eatery in town to have lunch. Afterwards, we visited the "ghetto" which is comprised of a few buildings in and around the synagogue. The synagogue itself was built in 1995 when the community raised funds after the original was run down. Inside the "museum" one could see the ancient ritual bath area for women, along with the kosher wine cellar, the slaughterhouse, and the matzoh ovens. We enjoyed a few more panoramic views of the hillsides of Maremma (the name of this region of Tuscany) before heading back to our cars. Again this afternoon, we had the pleasure (not) of listening to Avery and Olivia bickering with one another. Had we not been "scheduled" to leave Pitigliano by 4pm, surely another late afternoon meltdown would have hastened our departure.

Unfortunately, just as we were ready to head out of town, I hit the car parked in front of me. I had parked on a steep hill, forgot I'd left the car in gear, and failed to hit the clutch! Because the owner's friend happened to be walking by at the time, he promptly called his friend and this led to a whole series of events that included calling the insurance agent, filing papers, and leaving later than we'd planned. Oh well. Sh-t happens!

Still, we made it back to Rome in time to get rid of the car and go out for pizza. It was nice to have a light dinner. But then we had to have dessert!