To the south of Tuscany, around the towns of Sovana, Sorano and Pitigliano, there is a network of roads or paths carved into the living rock, whose authors are known to have been the Etruscans or peoples before them, but it is unknown absolutely its original function.
They are called Via Cava or Cavoni , and consist mainly of trenches of variable width and length, excavated as almost vertical cliffs in different types of bedrock, sometimes up to 20 meters high.
It has been speculated that they could serve as a defense system against invaders, wild animals or forces of nature. Although often dated as being carved by pre-Roman civilizations in the first or second millennium BC, the builders and purpose of the road network are largely unclear, and there are indications that they are much older than previously assumed.
These paths, some of which connect various settlements to an ancient Etruscan necropolis, run deep through hills and rocky foundations. Its construction is said to be the result of iron-framed wheeled carts wearing through the soft tuff, creating deep ruts that required the road to be frequently trimmed to a smooth surface. In that sense they would be very similar to the famous Cart Ruts from Malta.
They apparently provided a reasonably incline path for transporting things up and down the cliffs of Tuscany, and many also connect hills to valley bottoms or settlements to each other. In any case, chisel marks are visible throughout the rocky surface of the pathways, indicating that they were indeed carved and the laborious process by which these unique passageways were created, but for what purpose remains a mystery. Especially since it is strange that whoever did it preferred to carve the rock instead of building the road on it or around it.
In Roman times, segments of the Via Cava became part of the road network that was connected to the main trunk of the Via Clodia , an ancient road that linked Rome and Manciano through Tuscany. Later in the Middle Ages, small shrines and crucifixes were carved and added to the rock walls.
Today, these trails are another tourist attraction in the area.