Tours are organized by an authorized tourist guide for the Province of Grosseto.
Located in the Metallifere hills, Massa Marittima overlooks the mining area and the Etruscan Coast.
Its long, rich history dates back to the Etruscan era, although its most prolific period was the Middle Ages marked by the appearance of most of the town’s important buildings, best admired, along with its imposing defensive walls, whilst strolling through the town’s narrow streets. The climb to the top of the Torre del Candeliere is rewarded by an amazing 360° view over the Gulf of Follonica, the Tuscan Archipelago and the wood-covered Metallifere hills.
Other sights to enjoy here include the robe belonging to San Bernardino of Siena, the Duomo – and its square, now a UNESCO world heritage site – whilst the subject of the fresco behind the Fonte dell’Abbondanza in the old centre always makes visitors smile.
Tour Time: 1.5 > 2 hours
Tour dept: 5 p.m. in Piazza Duomo, Massa Marittima
This important Etruscan-Roman town rose across two hills overlooking the old Lake Prile, (Prelius) that no longer exists.
The town had a population large enough to warrant an amphitheatre and a mini-Colosseum where gladiators fought and where animals drawn from the local fauna were put on show.
The town was built like a small version of Rome, with a forum, baths, a basilica and large, porticoed villas that boasted magnificent views across the countryside.
Tour Time: 2 > 2.5 hours
Tour dept: 4 p.m. from the ticket office of the archaeological site.
This tour starts, in the late afternoon at the Casa Ximenes (Casa Rossa), using it as a viewpoint to admire the fauna and flora in the mirror-like waters of the marshland known as Diaccia-Botrona.
The beautiful red structure that acts as the gateway to the nature reserve is an important example of hydraulic engineering designed and built by the Jesuit, Ximenes for the Medici’s, in an effort to eradicate malaria from the former Lake Prile. The name, Diaccia-Botrona, comes from the two reclaimed lagoons built so that the lake could be drained and dried out. Amongst the many types of bird that can be admired in this reserve, look out for pink flamingos and cormorants.
The next part of the tour takes place in the residential area of Castiglione della Pescaia that can trace its origins back to the Etruscan. The low city occupies the access point that linked the Tyrrhenian Sea with the then important Lake Prile, which the towns of Roselle and Vetulonia used as a harbour for their boats.
The tour takes you along the narrow streets and lanes that lead to the castle and ends in the small church there, from which you will – hopefully – enjoy a magnificent sunset over the sea.
Tour Time: approx 2.5 hours
Tour dept: 5 p.m. from Casa Ximenes in Castiglione della Pescaia