The North Maremma
The North Maremma region of Tuscany offers a harmonious balance of sea, mediterranean forest and of the gentle Tuscan hills cultivated with vinyards and olive groves. Here, nature and climate live happily together with the history and the art of the ancient towns. The roads and itineraries available entwine themselves with the ancient etruscan and roman roads. In the hills the visitor will find lovely medieval towns, castles and churches.
Montescudaio
There is a beautiful view from the square in front of the abbey which is located in the highest part of the town. Near the town hall is the Marchionneschi Palace and the Pucci Town House. In the nearby countryside you can taste and buy D.O.C. wines and other typical products of the area.
Volterra
The centre of this city, built in the 12th and 13th centuries, is still intact. The centre is made up of the following important buildings: Piazza dei Priori with the Palazzo Pretorio and the Palazzo dei Priori, Piazza St. Giovanni with the cathedral and the Palazzo Vescovile. The main monuments to see in Volterra are: Palazzo dei Priori with it’s beautiful gallery, The cathedral and the bapistry, the Buonparenti house and tower, the medeival walls, the churches of St. Francesco, St. Lino, St. Giusto and St, Gerolamo, the Fortress (now a state prison), the medieval houses and buildings along the small roads of Via dei Sarti and Via Matteotti. When visiting Volterra you should visit the Guarnacci museum which is one of the biggest Etruscan museums in Italy.
San Gimignano
The city of a hundred towers! Between the 12th and 13th century this city developed greatly with the construction of buildings and houses and house towers of the founding families. Of the 72 towers which exsisted in the 1300’s only 15 remain. The principle monuments are: the Rocca (fortress), the Piazza del Duomo, the Palazzo del Popolo and the Palazzo del Podestà. They all contain frescoes and paintings dating from the 12th to 15th century. The church of St. Agostino contains frescoes by Gozzoli and works of art by Pollaiuolo and Benedetto da Maiano.
Campiglia
The centre of the town still has it's medieval aspect. The impressive remains of the fortress built in the 8th or 9th century and then rebuilt in the 12th and 13th century is the main attraction in this town. Inside the town walls is the Palazzo Pretorio, an antique building repeatedly renovated over the years. To the left of this building are the medieval arches, antique houses built in stone, external stairways and narrow medieval alleys.
Bolgheri
Is a small town whose origin dates back to the 9th century castle of the Counts of the Gherardesca. In the small town square is the house where the poet Carducci spent his childhood from 1838 to 1848. The Via dei Cipressi (a cyprus lined road about 5 km long) leads to the small church of St. Guido on the main road Aurelia. Behind Bolgheri, towards the hills, lies the Macchia della Magona, a splendid natural oasis with various itineraries to be done on foot.
Cecina
This small modern city was born at the end of the 1800's and is now the main commercial centre for the entire area. The Marina, which begins at the mouth of the river Cecina, continues south with plenty of sandy beaches bordered by a beautiful pinewood forest. Parking is available just outside the pinewood forest which only can be entered on foot. There is a small touristic port located at the mouth of the river. An archeological museum with Etruscan and Roman artifacts can be found inside the Villa "La Cinquantina".
Acqua Park (Cecina)
A family entertainment centre with water slides and games. Open in the summer.