Horseriding School at Il Cavone Holiday Farm, Sovana

The horseriding school at Il Cavone is proud to present its horses – nine horses of various races including anglo-arab, indian and maremmana.

For years the horses have been kept in complete freedom in their enclosure near the holiday farm and for some periods of the year they are moved to the grounds within the family-run farm.

The holiday farm organises short trips and long treks on horseback including trips through the Etruscan necropoli.

These excursions are guided by Sergio, our equestrian environmental guide.

The Riding School is run by Sergio, Equestrian Environmental Guide of the Association E.N.G.E.A.

Nowadays Sovana is a medieval town but its origins are Etruscan. Here we find ourselves in the 'vulcanic land' where the villages and towns are surrounded by the Vie Cave Etrusche, deep gorges dug out of the vulcanic rock which unwind for hundreds of metres and were dug out by the Etruscans who lived here more than 2000 years ago.

Within these gorges you can find etruscan tombs, niches with sacred images, tabernacles and hooked crosses, just like those found in the wall of Cavone, which is an upside-down swastika.

The Etruscans believed that the body became purified, from both carnal and spiritual sins, by passing through the bowels of the earth.

You'll experience a similar sensation, as well as feeling a strong energy, when you go through these deep Etruscan gorges on horseback.

Horseriding School at Tuscany

The gorges between Pitigliano, Sovana and Sorano reward us with a unique and spectacular landscape.

History cannot tell us for certain why the Etruscans dug these gorges out of these huge masses of vulcanic rock. Most probably they provided a network of roads joining various settlements and necropoli in the areas of Sovana, Sorano and Pitigliano, as well as being an efficient defense system against invaders and providing escape routes for besieged towns.

According to some opinions, however, the key to interpreting the construction of the Vie Cave is to be found in the magical religious view that the Etruscans had of life – Vie Cave as in Paths of the Sacred Ways.

Riding on horseback through these gorges is like re-living the magical rites of ancient times, reuniting with mother earth, her energy and her divinity, just like the Etruscans used to do.

Il Cavone and the Vie Cave of Saint Sebastian are the most important gorges in Sovana.

The itinerary we propose leaves from the holiday farm, goes to the Vie Cava Il Cavone and passes the Etruscans tombs of Ildebranda and the winged demons.

Returning, one passes through the woods below Sovana.

The whole trip is very interesting and is definitely worth considering.