Photos and information about Grosseto and province

Etruscan city on the north bank of the Ombrone, also called “Lucca of the Maremma”. Grosseto boasts a number of well-preserved finds and excavations from the first so-called Italian “advanced culture”, which can be attributed to the Etruscans. Dear holidaymaker, become a “witness” of this history and experience directly on site how exciting, lively and interesting this culture was. The name “Tuscany” also comes from the Etruscans. The scenery on the main square of Grosseto is particularly picturesque, especially in the evening hours. Italian flair, history and culture contribute to this enchanting atmosphere! Leave time behind and just enjoy the moment! Dolce Vita!

You should also visit the impressive Romanesque monastery Abbazia di San Rabano. However, a limited special permit is required to cross the nature reserve. (Info: Centro Visite di Alberese)

The beautifully situated seaside resort of Ansedonia lies in the middle of the so-called “macchia mediterranea”, this is the name for the typical flora of the Italian Mediterranean coast, whose diversity of colors and shapes can hardly be surpassed. The eventful history of the small settlement of Ansedonia began as early as 273 BC. BC, when the Romans founded the city “Cosa” here. Remains of the old Roman colony can be visited in the upper part of Ansedonia.

The small, tranquil, medieval town with narrow streets and stairs is surrounded by a well-preserved wall over which a footpath leads. Enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the country from here! The place gained a certain degree of fame through its “Castello dei Collacchioni”, where Giacomo Puccini spent several nights. From the tower of the fort the view is even more spectacular. Since 1997, the neighboring “Giardino dei Tarocchi” (see below) has been attracting tourists from near and far. One of the artist's colorful “Nanas” decorates the entrance to Capalbio as an impressive fountain figure.

The “Island of the Lily” is primarily a bathing paradise with a very special charm. The crystal clear water is clean and ideal for swimming, diving and surfing. There are no crowds as some of the beaches can only be reached on foot. Many holidaymakers come here with their own yacht! But if you choose the classic, no less beautiful, easy route, you can take the ferry from Porto Santo Stefano to the second largest island in the Tuscan Archipelago in just an hour. The actual seaside resort of Giglio Campese can then be reached via public bus. The extremely beautiful, long sandy bay is overlooked by a majestic round tower that the Medici built in the 18th century.

But the Isola del Giglio is not just a paradise for bathing enthusiasts. From the bright, colorful harbor you can take a winding road up to Giglio Castello, the small village at 400 meters high in the middle of the island. From here the view over the Tyrrhenian Sea is magnificent. Stroll through the romantic, winding streets or marvel at the impressive fortress wall from the Pisan period.

Approximately 60 kilometers south of Grosseto, in the small town of Garavicchio, which belongs to the municipality of Capabio, in the middle of the Tuscan hilly landscape you will come across a very special attraction, the Giardino dei Tarocchi, which could be translated as “Tarot Garden”. This is a fantasy garden or park designed by the French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) based on Gaudi's Park Güell in Barcelona.

The park has been open to visitors in the summer months since 1998. However, as early as 1979, Niki de Saint Phalle and her husband, the artist Jean Tinguely, began working on her dream garden. Over two decades of work, 2 large, very impressive tarot figures were created, all bright and colorful, as is the artist's trademark. Some of the impressive sculptures are up to 20 meters high, and some are even walk-in. Colorful ceramics, mosaics, mirrors and glass in which the sunlight is refracted create an almost surreal atmosphere. The area is surrounded by a tuff stone wall.

Regional artists also worked on the realization of the project, which was converted into a private foundation after the artist's death, in accordance with her wishes.

A true variety of beaches, fantastic nature, home to the huge Tuscan cattle herds and archaeological sites

In Italy, the coastal strip between Livorno in the north and the Monte Argentario peninsula in the south is called “Maremma”. Today it is considered the most fertile plain and provides grain, fruit and of course wine. In addition, as in ancient times, there is also a wide variety of mineral resources to be found. Cattle breeding is still known worldwide today, and the quality of the steaks is comparable to that of Argentinian beef steaks.

Holiday homes on the Maremna coast

• Villa Follonica with sea views 

Orbetello, Porto Santo Stefano, Porto Ercole

Monte Argentario - once an island - is now connected to the mainland by three narrow, finger-like connections. These are sand deposits that have been washed up. A road runs across the northwestern strip of land and connects Albinia on the mainland with Santa Liberata. The famous beach of “Giannella” (Tombolo di Giannella) is located here. The southeastern connection between Ansedonia and Porto Ercole, on the other hand, is a nature reserve and is only accessible by car to a limited extent. The beautiful sandy beach of Feniglia (Tombolo di Feniglia), which is framed by the typical pine vegetation in the background, can be reached on foot or by bike. When walking through this nature reserve you will come across red deer and, if you are lucky, you may also see wild boars and foxes. However, hunting is forbidden. In a way, Monte Argentario has retained its island character even today, as the peninsula has become a small world in itself, famous and praised for its landscape uniqueness: 61 square meters of barren, uneven ground and pointed rocks that rise gracefully, dreamy everywhere Angle. A world of wild and gentle beauty.

The main town of Monte Argentario, Orbetello, lies on the middle connection to the mainland.
The charming little town was founded in the 8th century BC. Founded by the Etruscans in BC. In the west of the town there are still remains of an old Etruscan harbor wall from the 4th century BC. Orbetello prospered in the Roman and Sienese times thanks to its abundance of fish and salt production. The old, massive city walls and the “Palazzo di Spagna” with its impressive bell tower in the main square date from the Spanish era (16th century), when the place was a naval base. Also worth seeing are the cathedral, the church of St. Francis and the church of Our Lady of Grace, and also worth a visit: the mill, the antiquarium, the pavilion and the Guzman powder magazine.

Porto Santo Stefano with its noble marina, exudes nostalgic, elegant charm and is very popular precisely because of its exclusivity. In the evening you can stroll along the harbor promenade to see and be seen. Above the old town is the old Spanish fortress (Fortezza Spagnola) with a permanent exhibition on ancient boat building. In addition to tourism, fishing continues to be an important livelihood for the residents of Porto Santo Stefano. There are daily ferry connections to the islands of Giglio and Giannutri (the smallest island in the Tuscan archipelago).

The second port town of Monte Argentario is also extremely worth seeing: the small town built into the hillside Porto Ercole with its charming old town. Caravaggio was buried here in the small parish church in 1610. The small town is surrounded by two huge fortresses, which are now privately owned. South of Porto Ercole lies the oldest Spanish fortress in this area, the so-called Rocca.

Pitigliano, Sorano, Sovana
The tuff stone villages are little jewels in the southern part of Tuscany in a picturesque location!
Pitigliano sits high up on a 313 m high tuff rock and belongs solely because of this captivatingly beautiful location and the aqueduct (former water supply) from the 15th century. to the most beautiful places in Tuscany. The battlement-crowned “Palazzo Orsini” (Palazzo della Republica) is an absolute masterpiece of Tuscan fortress architecture. The building has a very beautiful, restored inner courtyard, which is said to have once been guarded by a lion (imposing representation). A look at the cathedral, which was rebuilt in the Baroque style, is also highly recommended.

The connecting road to the north to the towns of Sorano and Sovana was originally cut into the tuff rock by the Etruscans as a wedge. Pay particular attention to the walls, where you can often see so-called Etruscan “necropolises” (Etruscan cemeteries). Great rarity value!

The 379-inhabitant village of Sorano (northeast of Pitigliano) lies 2000 m high above the Lente River. The district on the southern slope of the tuff rock was abandoned because erosion washed away the soil. The town center is still preserved, although many houses have already collapsed. This gives the visitor an excellent impression of a typical medieval Tuscan village. The “Fortezza Orsini” (approx. 14th century) dominates the townscape and attracts visitors with wonderful floral motifs and scenes of a festival. Etruscan tombs around Sorano, which are cut into the soft tuff, bear witness to a highly intelligent, past culture. In the vicinity of “San Rocco”, which is also called the “ruined church”, you can discover unadorned chamber tombs of the Etruscans. Emotional!

Sovana: Pure romance!
This place is supported by its incredibly beautiful medieval piazzetta, the one-story houses that line the main street and the oversized churches! People even talk about it being one of the “most romantic places in southern Tuscany”. The “Piazza Pretorio” is still the center of Sovana today. The town's most important buildings are located around the square: the “Palazzo Bourbon” del Monte (15th century), the “Palazzo del Archivio” (13th century) with its pretty bell tower and the “Palazzo Pretorio” (13th century). . Century), decorated with the coat of arms of the rulers of Sovana. Today it houses a real gem, the “Centro documentazione dell'area archeologica di Sovana”, an archaeological collection of frescoes, as well as reconstructions of the “Tomba Ildebranda”, Hildebrandt's grave (1st half of the 3rd century BC). and Etruscan finds! The tombs in the area are considered the most spectacular of all Etruscan necropolises. Extremely worth seeing!

Holiday homes near Sorano, Sovana, Pitigliano

• Holiday apartments Sorano

Roselle is one of the largest archaeological sites in Tuscany! In secluded peace and quiet you can visit ruins, traces of the Iron Age and the Etruscan period, remains of Roman and early Christian buildings - everything is combined there. The archaeologists' outstanding discovery was that of an archaic house from the 7th century BC. BC, which gives a wonderful insight into the construction of houses at that time. Walk in the footsteps of this extremely interesting culture and be surprised at how diverse and imaginative construction was in the distant past!

Do you feel more like diving in and relaxing? Then they go to Saturnia, one of the most spectacular and interesting baths in the region with sulfur springs and a wonderful waterfall (cascate del Gorello), which Dante already raved about in his “Comedia Divina”. This place offers a variety of leisure activities: Enjoy the thermal baths, benefit from the positive effect of the 37,5 degree warm water on the skin and joints and relax in the attractively designed, spacious facilities! The place is very crowded on weekends, so we recommend visiting during the week.

Holiday homes in Saturnia and the surrounding area:

• Agriturismo Saturnia 
• Holiday apartments Sorano

The magical seaside resort Talamone, located 15 km north of Monte Argentario on a small headland, offers a paradise-like piece of Tuscany. “On the one hand” you can see Monte Argentario and the island of Giglio, “on the other” you can see your own small harbor and the gentle, sweeping hills of the Maremma. Be careful, the secluded bathing bays are unfortunately all quite rocky!

Another small Italian paradise stretches between Talamone and the Ombrone estuary, approximately 30 km away: Maremma Regional Natural Park! A natural paradise of forests, wetlands and marshes. It can only be accessed by bus as many wild animals still live here in their natural environment. In the summer months you can book guided hikes here.

If you are interested in other archaeological sites, you will find the remains of a Roman temple in Talamonaccio and a few kilometers away the “Terme dell' Osa” with 32 degree sulfur water.

Castel del Piano lies in a wooded plain on the western slope of Monte Amiata. The community was first mentioned in writing in 890 under the name “Casale Plana” in the correspondence of Amiata Abbey. Owned by the Aldobrandeschi family from 1175 to 1331, the place was subsequently conquered by the Republic of Siena and only fell to the Duchy of Tuscany in 1555 after the defeat of Siena. Today, only the town center with its narrow streets, Renaissance buildings and towers remains a reminder of the town's medieval past. In the Piazza della Madonna you will find the largest church in the Amiata region, the Chiesa dell'Opera. Similar to Siena, Castel del Piano also hosts an annual horse race (Palio delle Contrade) in honor of the “Madonna delle Grazie”. In this race, which takes place in Piazza Garibaldi, the four districts (contrade) “Borgo, Monumento, Poggio and Storte” compete against each other. A historic parade takes place before each race.

Holiday homes in Castel del Piano and the surrounding area:

• Bed and Breakfast Castel del Piano 

The small medieval town is located about 40 km northeast of Grosseto near Monte Amiata, in the Orcia Valley and in the Montecucco wine-growing region. Seggiano also belonged to the Republic of Siena until it fell to the Duchy of Tuscany in 1555. “Il Giardino”, sculpture garden by the artist Daniel Spoerri, is worth seeing.

At 1738 meters, the extinct volcano Monte Amiata is the highest mountain in Tuscany. Although it hasn't erupted for 180.000 years, hot springs and geysers still indicate its volcanic origin. The sparsely populated landscape is characterized by lonely chestnut and beech, spruce and oak forests, pastures and rivers and thus offers an interesting contrast to the art and cultural cities of northern Tuscany. In addition to a rich fauna, you can also encounter snake eagles, Egyptian vultures and falcons in the animal world. There are even still wolves here.

A network of hiking trails invites you to explore on foot, on horseback or by bike. So you can e.g. For example, in autumn you can follow the “strada della Castagna” or the “strada del vino di Montecucco” or collect porcini mushrooms from mid-August. Winter sports are also possible here. From the “Vetta Amiata”, the summit, there is a unique view over southern Tuscany all the way across to the Tuscan archipelago and Corsica. If the weather conditions are good, it is even possible to see the Towers of Siena and Lake Trasimeno. The iron summit cross from 1910 was blown up by the Nazis as they withdrew. In 1946 Pope Pius had it re-erected.