A stroll around the Maritime Villages

Cloudy day? Fancy a hike? At ‘hand’ you have only to choose. The proposed itinerary includes numerous villages, some in the province of Livorno, others in the province of Pisa, and still others in the province of Grosseto, but they are always well connected. Of course, the tour can be modified and divided into several parts according to your needs and can be done clockwise or anticlockwise.

A bit of history and some curiosities
As we have seen above and contrary to what an unsuspecting tourist might think, Marittimo/a does not mean a town near the sea but: From the Latin Maritima, ‘maritime’ actually means ‘of the Maremma’ and was added, after the Unification of Italy, not only to locate the town, but also to distinguish it from other places of the same name. So we have for example Casale Marittimo which means Casale della Maremma. The Maremma is a region in southern Tuscany, the central part corresponding to the province of Grosseto up to the slopes of Monte Amiata and the Colline Metallifere, in the inland part the Maremma Senese and in the coastal strip between Piombino and the river Cecina to the provinces of Livorno and Pisa.

 We continue towards Casale Marittimo (Bolgheri - Casale Marittimo 12 km, 18 minutes)

Casale Marittimo is characterised by an evocative panorama of the coast. This ancient hamlet stretches south of the Cecina river on an inland hill called Poggio al Pruno, overlooking a vast panorama of the Tyrrhenian coast and the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba, Capraia and Gorgona, are clearly visible.

What to see in Casale Marittimo

The historic centre of Casale Marittimo is a labyrinth of stone-paved streets that follow in rings the development of two medieval walls. A ramp provides access to the ‘Castle’ marked by the Clock Tower, erected in 1854.

Next to the Clock Tower is the Casa del Camarlingo, one of the oldest buildings in the village. Next to the Town Hall is the Palazzo della Canonica, which houses the evocative ‘Roman Hall’ with artefacts from the Roman villa and the Etruscan Necropolis of Casale Marittimo.

 By now we are here, how can we not continue from Casale Marittimo - Querceto 13 km, 18 minutes

Situated on a hilltop at an altitude of 260 m above sea level, this is a small village surrounded by greenery. Taking the splendid ascent to Querceto immediately gives us strong emotions with a panorama that outlines its outline on a splendid blue.

What to see in Querceto

The castle, the parish church of San Giovanni Battista and a visit to the wine cellar in the village's old mill with its stone grindstone, with tastings and direct sales of Marchesi Ginori Lisci organic wines, Montescudaio DOC and extra virgin olive oil.

Querceto - Monteverdi Marittimo 21 km, 26 minutes

• Another village to visit already mentioned on the   Discover Cornia Valley 

• Gourmets will not fail to visit the historic Mucci e Staccioli shop, and those who wish can buy products for a packed or vacuum-packed lunch to be consumed at a time   Gastronomic Specialities

Monteverdi Marittimo - Castagneto Carducci - San Vincenzo 28 km, 38 minutes

Return leg with the possibility of a stop in the famous village of Castagneto Carducci already mentioned on the page 

• Discover Cornia Valley

Red Icon Route

We set off from San Vincenzo in the direction of the nearest village, that of Campiglia Marittima (9 km, 10 minutes) also mentioned on the page

• Discover Cornia Valley
  

Campiglia Marittima - Suvereto 10 km, 13 minutes

• Suvereto Borgo d'Italia extensively described on the page       Discover Cornia Valley

• offers, among other things, numerous events throughout the summer period. See the page dedicated to   Etruscan Coast Events

Suvereto – Massa Marittima 31 km, 30 minuti

The itinerary continues from Suvereto to the well-known Massa Marittima along a beautiful road through the woods to the north and on the edge of the Montioni Park.

There is much to visit and little more to add about this beautiful village.

It is worth seeing, starting from Piazza Garibaldi, the beating heart of the town, and then following the side streets.  The Cathedral of Massa Marittima, or the Cathedral of San Cerbone, has been awarded the title of national monument by the Italian State. It is a Romanesque church built between the 11th and 14th centuries.

It is 60 metres long and has a 40-metre high bell tower. The inspiration and influence of the Pisan Romanesque style is evident in the façade. In the panels of the main portal there are bas-reliefs of the Stories of San Cerbone, dating back to the early 13th century, while inside there are three naves divided by large columns, where splendid works can be admired, including the 13th-century baptismal font, the 14th-century stained-glass window of the central rose window and Duccio di Buoninsegna's Maestà, dated 1316.

Massa Marittima – Monterotondo Marittimo 20 km, 23 minuti

Cutting the route as indicated with a blue icon on the map, we reach the pretty village of Monterotondo Marittimo, also known for the Biancane Unesco Geopark, which alone would be worth a trip. Here we leave you to the tourist site of the municipality, which is well done and amply describes the places and related activities.

Tourism Monterotondo Maritime

The return back to San Vincenzo is via Suvereto - Campiglia following the cut-off at the junction represented with the blue icon and/or depending on the personal setting of the itinerary also via Monteverdi - Castagneto Carducci.

Side notes

• Massa Marittima - San Galgano 32 km, 38 minutes.

• A trip from San Vincenzo to Chiusdino - San Galgano is 71 km, 1 hour, 28 minutes and vice versa.
  
  Abbazia di San Galgano - Spada nella Roccia, here the municipal info with visiting hours and costs    San Galgano Abbey

• Curiosities
  
  A short distance away in the village of Chiusdino we find the Mulino Bianco that reminds us of the famous advertisement   Mulino Bianco White Mill

What does Maremma mean and why do Tuscans curse it?
Everyone in Tuscany is constantly referring to the Maremma using various kinds of expressions, from the simple and harmless exclamation ‘Maremma!’ to signify surprise or to reinforce a concept, to the more colourful ‘Maremma bona’, ‘Maremma troia’, ‘Maremma maiala’, ‘Maremma impestata’ or ‘Maremma bucaiola’.

Today, the Maremma is one of the top world destinations, visited by tourists from all over the world, rich in history, culture and above all nature and landscape, but it was not always so. Unfortunately, the loss of independence and subjugation to Sienese exploitation devastated the local economy and led to the abandonment of cultivated land, with the inevitable increase of marshlands. Starting in the 14th century, man's presence in this region became increasingly precarious, also having to reckon with the terrible scourge of malaria and poverty, salient features of the Maremma for several centuries.

The eighteenth century saw the beginning of the human struggle against the vast coastal marshes and swamps, rivers without banks that flooded the land thickly covered with thickets and Mediterranean scrub. Meanwhile, malaria continued to claim victims at a rapid pace, including Grand Duke Ferdinand III of Lorraine himself, who contracted the disease while visiting the Maremma and died in 1824.

Adding to its depopulation was the poor fertility of the land, which allowed only a very small production of grain, and, as if that were not enough, another biblical scourge occurred in the first decades of the 18th century, as the region was periodically invaded by locusts. Chroniclers of the time note that in June 1711 an immense cloud of locusts appeared from the sea, obscuring the sun and rapidly covering the entire countryside around Piombino. In the following years the locust invasions continued (until 1786) extending to new countryside and destroying over 70 miles of cultivated land.

The Tuscan imprecations thus refer to the Maremma of long ago, yet today this beautiful land still remains fiercely wild, and for this reason even more fascinating.