Praetorian Square

Located in the main square of Sovana, Piazza del Pretorio, this building can only be admired from the outside.

To be fair the inside now consists of houses, offices and a great cafe but the outside is still great to look at. And the coffee, if you get the chance, is pretty awesome. They make great sandwiches.

But let’s go back to the palace, built in the 12th-13th century and renovated in the 15th century, it is crowned by the grandiose sculpted coats of arms of the various Captains of Justice who controlled Sovana from the 14th to the 16th century.

Each captain had a different insignia representing both himself and his family titles and each crest is a little bigger than the one before which I think is fun. There was some friendly competition between the different captains.

The palace is also a visitor center for the Città del Tufo Archaeological Park . Here you will find information and maps that will help you explore what would otherwise be an open-air museum that is virtually impossible to explore.

The guides who work here will also be able to tell you what’s open, what’s currently being restored, and what you simply can’t miss.