Of very ancient origins, Saturnia owes its name to the legend
according to which it was founded at the wish of the god Saturn. Its boiling
hot and steamy sulphurous waters fuelled the belief of its magic origins throughout
the Middle Ages, when the natural pools and cascades it formed provided the
ideal scenario for a collective imagination peopled by witches and demons.
The small town, in a hillside position along the ancient Via Clodia, is characterised
by its essentially mediaeval town plan, in which, however, traces of the Etruscan
and Roman civilisation are still very evident. Many towns in the environs,
such as Sovana and Pitigliano Roselle are also not to be missed for those
who wish to visit the most important archaeological remains of ancient Etruria
in Tuscany.
