We investigate analytically the existence of several families of periodic solutions for the planar anisotropic Schwarzschild-type problem. We use reduction and averaging theory, as well as the technique of continuation of Poincare'\, for the study of symmetric periodic solutions. Moreover, the determination of KAM 2-tori encasing some of the linearly stable periodic solutions is proved. Finally, we analyze the existence of periodic Hamiltonian pitchfork bifurcation of the periodic solutions.