TUSCANY MAREMMA GROSSETO, CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA, SCANSANO GROSSETO, CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA, SCANSANO INTRODUCTION cansano, Grosseto, Castiglione della Pescaia: a fresco of hills, planted fields, towns and citadels, sea and beaches, becoming a glowing mosaic embellished by timeless architecture. Here you find one of the most beautiful, warm and Ssincere expressions of the spell cast by the magical Maremma. Qualities lost elsewhere have been carefully nurtured here. The inland is prosperous with naturally fertile farmland that yields high quality, genuine produce. The plain offers GROSSETO, CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA, SCANSANO THE THOUSAND FACETS OF THE MAREMMA wetlands, rare types of fauna and uncontaminated flora. The sea bathes a coast where flowered beaches, sandy dunes, pine groves and brackish marshes alternate and open into coves with charming tourist ports and modern, well-equipped beaches. What strikes you and may well tie you to this place long after your visit, is the life style you may enjoy the sea, a trip into the Etruscan past, better represented here than anywhere else, then a visit to the villages and towns where the atmosphere and art of the Middle Ages remains firmly embedded. GROSSETO, CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA, SCANSANO THE THOUSAND FACETS OF THE MAREMMA GROSSETO his beautiful and noble city is the vital centre of the Maremma. Grosseto lies in a green plain traced by the flow of the Ombrone and its origins go back to the powerful Etruscan and Roman city of Roselle. Walking among the military, civil Tand religious monuments, you are able to cover twelve centuries of history and envision each of the periods and rulers as they are unveiled, layer by layer, before you. Imaginary time travel takes place as you see the Etruscan ships sail Lake Prile, teeming with fish and stretching from the coast to the city of Rosella and submerging the whole Grosseto area. Originally, in fact, there was a large sea gulf surrounded Grosseto and that was gradually transformed over the centuries into a lagoon with marshes and cane thickets. The city began to expand about 935 after the devastation of Roselle by the Saracens and became civitas in 1138 when Innocent II transferred the Episcopal seat there. In the 11th century it became the feud of the Aldobrandeschi family, then later fell under Sienese dominion and finally under the rule of Cosimo de' Medici in 1559. The noble Florentine family encouraged the city's economic recovery by excavating canals for land reclamation and constructing the city wall and buildings of public utility. Later, the arrival of the Grand dukes of Lorraine (18th century) favoured the definitive rebirth of the city. The centre, with its hexangonal wall, the Cathedral and the Cassero Senese, GROSSETO, CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA, SCANSANO THE THOUSAND FACETS OF THE MAREMMA tells us the story of the city's past. The Medicean city walls have come down to us almost intact and are a defensive circuit equipped with 6 bastions serving as lookouts. The Fortress looms above all else, a fortified citadel dominated by the massive Cassero Senese dating from 1344 and enclosed within the wall in the 6th century. The church of San Pietro in corso Carducci dates from 11th-12th centuries. It has a fine Romanesque apse and it's façade displays a number of stone sculptures from the early Middle Ages. The austere church of San Francesco is nearby. It is in the Franciscan Gothic style with the high altar adorned by the magnificent painted crucifix attributed to Duccio di Buoninsegna. Next to the church, the cloisters of the old convent frame a Renaissance well, from 1590, known as "pozzo della Bufala". In the main piazza, the 13th century Duomo is dedicated to the patron, Saint Lawrence. It was built on the remains of a church from the end of the 12th century. The four beautiful sculptures of the evangelists adorning the present façade, was well as the gallery, the splendid rose window, two windows and the portal on the southern side, all come from the original church. Of special note inside the church are the marble baptismal font, the stoup and the splendid tempera on wood dating from the fifteenth century by Matteo di Giovanni. It portrays the Enthroned Madonna with Angels and is regarded as one of the most important works of art in the city. Farther up the valley are other centres well known for their historic and artistic monuments. One of these is the archaeological area of Roselle, one of the twelve main Etruscan cities, clearly elucidated with panels in four languages. It was famous for its commerce, the terracotta that was produced in its shops and an unusual example of GROSSETO, CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA, SCANSANO THE THOUSAND FACETS OF THE MAREMMA Etruscan fortification that still stands. The small village of Montepescali, perched on top of a hill, is also quite interesting. Surrounded by a medieval wall, it is important for its fourteenth century buildings and a panorama so splendid that it is known as "the balcony of the Maremma". Other worthwhile places to see are the charming villages of Istia d'Ombrone, Batignano with the remains of the wall and keep, the modern and expanding town of Braccagni and, a short distance from Grosseto, Marina di Grosseto. The vast and modern bathing centre stretches along a large beach below a beautiful, deep pine forest. And finally, there is the realm of the Butteri cowboys: Alberese, with one of the entrances to the Maremma Regional Park. Here the Mediterranean scrub, the wild animals, the prehistoric, Etruscan and medieval villages (among which the San Rabano Abbey) blend together so that it is hard to separate man's work from nature's. CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA astiglione della Pescaia is one of the most popular and well-equipped bathing centres in the Maremma, one of the most efficient and attractive destinations in Tuscany. The old centre is perched on an outcropping of Monte Petriccio Cand, with its embattled towers, overlooks one of the loveliest landscapes in the Maremma. Its massive offensive walls with their 11 towers, 3 gates and the 15th century castle have kept their medieval fascination, as have the narrow stone streets, ancient portals and ever present niches and arcades. The ancient lake Prile once stretched to the east of the town, an Etruscan possession before it became the Roman Portus Traianus. With the passage of time, the lake began to dry up and was replaced by a vast marshland, subsequently reclaimed as part of the work promoted by the Grand duke Leopold. The nature reserve of the Diaccia Botrona is what remains of that area today. It is considered one of the most significant wetlands in Italy with its rare ecosystem of international importance. The town is an ancient fishing village, as indicated by the name Pescaia. Pleasure boats of all types dock in the picturesque canal GROSSETO, CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA, SCANSANO THE THOUSAND FACETS OF THE MAREMMA harbour and every evening fishing boats return with their catch. The vast expanse of surrounding vegetation offers refuge to a large and spectacular bird community living in harmony amid a diversified flora. Within the area it is possible to walk, bike or horseback ride along paved roads or pathways that penetrate the underbrush across pine needles and moss. The sea is uncontaminated and the long beaches of fine, white GROSSETO, CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA, SCANSANO THE THOUSAND FACETS OF THE MAREMMA sand stretch to the edge of the pine forest. A tourist can easily find everything he wants for sailing, windsurfing and other seaside amusements and can just as easily find quiet, secluded beaches for contemplating nature, far from the lively and crowded bathing establishments. There are many fascinating spots around Castiglione della Pescaia that deserve a visit. Vetulonia is one of the most important Etruscan cities where it is possible to visit a necropolis and an archaeological museum. The town of Tirli, known for its simple and genuine cooking, makes it easy to see what life in the Maremma of old was like. The ancient town of Buriano offers a medieval castle and a spectacular view over the Maremma. And finally, about 15 km from Castiglione della Pescaia, is Punta Ala. This tourist resort is famous for well appointed bathing establishments, excellent hotels and, most especially, for its modern and fully equipped port, considered one of the best in the Mediterranean. SCANSANO cansano is built in the hilly Maremma inland, along a strip of land between the coast and the slopes of Mount Amiata. Upon arriving in this area for the first time, you're both charmed and astonished by the landscape's variety and the Sharmony of its components. While large sections remain rugged and wild, as though man had not yet arrived, others immediately remind you of the centuries' old wine making tradition. A tradition that today produces one of the best known Italian DOC red wines in the world, the Morellino. Vineyards and olive groves line the hills while flocks of sheep dot the countryside and horses graze in the pastures. Scenes from an authentic country landscape. However, Scansano is more than a dip into nature amid flowering broom, rockroses and strawberry trees. Most of all it is a monument rich historical centre dating from the early Middle Ages and the Tuscan fifteenth century. GROSSETO, CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA, SCANSANO THE THOUSAND FACETS OF THE MAREMMA First settled by the Etruscans and the Romans, as demonstrated by the archaeological site of Ghiaccio Forte, it was ruled by the Aldobrandeschi family and then by the Santa Flora counts in the sixteenth century. After a period of socio-political stagnation under the Medici, the town showed demographic and urban growth under the Grand duke of Lorraine.