Introduction

TUSCANY MAREMMA METALLIFEROUS HILLS METALLIFEROUS HILLS AND GULF OF FOLLONICA INTRODUCTION whole new idea about nature, art, colours and flavours in the Maremma awaits you when you visit the Metalliferous Hills. You are immediately struck by how A varied the area is, with a thousand constantly changing facets. The white beaches of the coast are crowned with luxuriant pinewoods and bathed by a transparent sea. It is one of the most beautiful and accessible settings of the entire Tyrrenian coast. With the wide Gulf of Follonica and most of the territory of Scarlino, this warm sea has been sailed ever since ancient times when ships laden with cargoes of iron for the foundries arrived from the nearby Island of Elba. Again, going inland, iron is a link to the other characteristic of the territory, mineral resources. Already the name "Metalliferous Hills" brings to mind the iron, copper, zinc, pyrite and silver that have been mined and worked here throughout history. Here, unlike most of the Maremma, man's efforts have been concentrated on mining rather than agriculture. The signs are everywhere, from the remains of the mines and furnaces from the Etruscan-Roman period to the mineral dumps from the Middle Ages to the imposing ruins of the contemporary mines. This mining activity has left extremely important documentation about extraction and working techniques as well as the happenings in the local towns. The tradition has been so strongly felt that the Parco Minerario Naturalistico has been created in Gavorrano. When you visit it, you can fully understand both the human and environmental aspects involved in the exploitation of the mineral resources as well as mining's profound influence on the culture of the area. The park includes the small mine in Ravi-Marchi, where you can appreciate all of the essential components tied to the work (the trolleys for entrance to the shafts, the washing areas, the tubs for crushing and floatation and the systems for transport); the Parco delle Rocce which contains the "Teatro delle Rocce", an open-air structure at the foot of the old quarry "San Rocco", used for cultural events; and the Mining Museum which is located within an old tunnel and traces the history of Gavorrano's mines and miners. These hills, formed by man from heaps of mineral waste and then modelled by nature, never lose their fascination. They have been eroded and carved by wind and rain, creating a spectacular vision. The hues of the metals mix with the colours of the vegetation from which views of castles, METALLIFEROUS HILLS AND GULF OF FOLLONICA THE THOUSAND FACETS OF THE MAREMMA churches, fortresses and watchtowers suddenly appear. The close bond to its geology is further demonstrated by the geothermic phenomenon, the "soffioni boracifieri" (boric-acid fumaroles) in Monterotondo Marittimo and Travale, typical of the area. These clouds rising from the ground gradually disappear in the green chestnut, oak and bitter oak woods and the Mediterranean scrub that blankets the hills. Natural beauty accompanies and serves as the setting for an area filled with important works of art and historical events from the Etruscan and Roman period to the Middle Ages of which Massa Marittima is undoubtedly the most outstanding expression. But it isn't alone. There are also the old centres of Montieri and Roccastrada, with their important surrounding towns, as well as many other tiny villages perched on rocky hills with panoramic views, immersed in history and nature. An enormous artistic, architectural and archaeological heritage is waiting to be discovered in towns large and small, in the wooded hills of the Cornate di Gerfalco, in the countryside and on the coast. METALLIFEROUS HILLS AND GULF OF FOLLONICA THE THOUSAND FACETS OF THE MAREMMA FOLLONICA n industrial centre and well-known seaside resort, modern Follonica's name is closely tied to Leopold II of Lorraine. It was here that the Grand-duke of Tuscany chose to locate the Monopolies of the Imperial Foundries, taking full advantage Aof its position at the gulf's centre as a perfect landing place for the mines on the nearby island of Elba and at Massa Marittima. In addition, the dense forests provided the necessary wood for the foundries' furnaces. The town that was to become today's Follonica grew around these Medicean foundries, its name deriving from fulloni, the bellows of the original blast furnaces. It is tied to the art of casting, not only by its name, but by the many monuments constructed largely in iron. The most important of these is a unique work of art, the church of San Leopoldo, known as the "Cast Iron Church" (Chiesa della Ghisa). The building, recognized as a national monument, was constructed between 1836 and 1838 from a project by the architect Carlo Reishmmer. This was the first example of the integrated use of stone and cast iron. A completely new concept brought these two materials together in the construction of the vestibule, choir, pulpit, a part of the bell tower and the furnishings. The spectacular neoclassic main entrance to the "factory village" is METALLIFEROUS HILLS AND GULF OF FOLLONICA THE THOUSAND FACETS OF THE MAREMMA also made in cast iron. It was this area around the grand-ducal foundries that became the embryo of the city. Follonica's master founders cast thousands of pieces, recreating classical motifs to build a structure of high technological skill. But the city is more than its foundries. Its location and the industrious imagination of its population have also produced a thriving tourist trade with qualified services that make it possible to enjoy the area's varied and rich natural surroundings. EVENTS CARNIVAL The seven neighbourhoods of the city compete with one another during the carnival celebrations in Follonica with impressive allegorical floats made of papier-machè. They parade through the streets of the centre for three Sundays, accompanied by costumed crowds. Ever since 1949, this tradition has attracted visitors, drawn by the contagious gayety of a celebration that involves the entire town and ends with a prize for the most beautiful float. GAVORRANO he Medieval town of Gavorrano, situated in the heart of the upper Grosseto area of the Maremma, stands on the side of Mount Calvo, with a panoramic view from the hills to the sea. It has always been an important mining centre, especially Tbecause of the exceptional purity of the pyrite extracted there. Stone quarries and EVENTS the infrastructures for extracting and P THE COUNTESS' LEAP working the material are to be seen throughout the territory. Currently, a part of During the month of August, the story (a the unused mining structures has been blend of history and tradition) of the converted into a vast museum complex, the Sienese noble woman, Pia de Tolomei is Parco Minerario e Naturalistico (Mineral and re-enacted in the historic centre of the Nature Park) which provides an important town. Dante Alighieri himself tells the contribution to a historic-cultural and tragic story in "The Divine Comedy". The touristic revival of the area. The origins and re-enactment is presented in medieval history of the town are tied to the noble costumes, with parades, flag throwers, a Pannochieschi family and its story. The horse race and a theatrical tragic fate of Pia dè Tolomei, who was killed representation of the Countess' death, by her husband, Count Nello in the Castello murdered by her husband, Nello dei di Pietra, has been recounted by Dante Pannocchieschi, in the Castello della Alighieri in "The Divine Comedy" and the Pietra. The castle, located a few ruins of the castle itself can still be seen. The kilometres from Gavorrano, was once an village retains its Medieval architectural impressive medieval structure and design: the square towers and the elliptical imposing ruins still mark the spot. form of the walls of the Keep can be METALLIFEROUS HILLS AND GULF OF FOLLONICA THE THOUSAND FACETS OF THE MAREMMA recognized and many of the buildings, large palaces with towers, arches and doors within the walls are important examples from the Middle Ages. The church of San Giuliano was built at the end of the 18th century and contains an excellent marble sculpture of the Madonna with Child executed by Giovanni d'Agostino, the last of the great 14th century sculptors and master builder of the cathedrals in Siena and Arezzo. The small towns of Caldana, Ravi and Giuncarico are also worth a visit. Their old fortresses, churches and historic castles punctuate itineraries through a territory that is fascinating from a historic-artistic, environmental point of view and provides a backdrop of unspoiled nature. A series of Etruscan tombs, one dome-shaped and two of the ditch type, containing funeral appointments from the orientalizing period, have been found few kilometres from Giuncarico and complete this itinerary. MINING NATURALISTIC PARK The park extends over a large portion of the territory and includes the mines both in Ravi (with the structures where the slag was washed from the minerals, the shafts and systems for the transport of the pyrite) and in Gavorrano. Here the preservation of the mining structures has resulted in the creation of a museum housed in the tunnels of the former powder magazine and construction of an amphitheatre built on face of the quarries. The vast museum complex provides an important contribution to the understanding of the history of mining within an attractive natural and cultural setting. METALLIFEROUS HILLS AND GULF OF FOLLONICA THE THOUSAND FACETS OF THE MAREMMA MASSA MARITTIMA his noble city has been called a "Medieval Gem" for the beauty of its Romanesque and Gothic buildings and "Massa Metallorum" for the importance T of its mines.

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