San Vincenzo: exploring the sea and the countryside during the four seasons
Tour San Vincenzo – Casale Marittimo Km 32, min. 28 an excursion of great scenic value.
A charming village with panoramic views of the Etruscan Coast, one of the most picturesque in the Lower Val di Cecina.
Casale Marittimo is set on a scenic hill overlooking the Valley of the Cecina River, along the beautiful Etruscan Coast. The beach is just 12 kilometres away, also offering a panoramic view of the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago.
The historical roots of the village date back around a thousand years; the events that have shaped its evolution are palpable in the walls of the historic centre, where the stone and terracotta buildings retain almost intact their original features.
The medieval village has been awarded the Orange Flag by the Touring Club.
Architecture lovers will find it particularly interesting to discover the traces of the old Castle, now perfectly integrated into the urban fabric, along with the typical semicircular ring structure of the subsequent walls.Among the buildings in the historic centre of the village that deserve special attention, the Palazzo della Canonica and the Clock Tower, the Rocca Palace, the Church of Sant’Andrea, built on the remains of the historic parish church, and the eighteenth-century Santa Maria delle Grazie.
Casale Marittimo, as is the case in all medieval villages, offers a rich programme of folkloric events that begins in spring and continues until late autumn. Among the various festivities, the gastronomic events stand out, such as the Sagra delle Chiocciole and the Sagra del Cinghiale which is traditionally held in August.
The territory of Casale Marittimo is traversed by the Wine Road of the Etruscan Coast, surrounding the village is a hilly area where high-quality extra virgin olive oil and notable wines are produced, such as the famous DOC Montescudaio.
During the tour, those who wish can explore the Linaglia and Parmigiani Yellow Caves, a system of natural cavities formed from calcarenite that were used by the Etruscans as burial sites, within which there are tunnels and rooms adorned with stalactites and stalagmites, in which strange figures carved into the rock depicting animals such as the ram and the monkey can be recognised, evoking an atmosphere of pre-Columbian civilisations.
