Massa Maritima, Duomo and view on Follonica | Podere Santa Pia, holiday home in Tuscany

Massa Maritima

Massa Marittima, the 'City of Museums', is a very attractive town situated on a hill in Tuscany. Massa Marittima is a town of great tourist interest due to its unique artistic and historical heritage, preserved in numerous museums and, of course, given the geographical position, beautiful and magnificent landscape of the Maremma Tuscany. It has received the Italian Orange Flag award for sustainable tourism.
A visit to Massa Marittima revolves around Piazza Garibaldi, from which the old routes through which you explore the old city radiate in all directions. In the Piazza Garibaldi certain buildings stand out for their elegance, including the Counts of Biserno Palace (XIII century), Palazzo Comunale and Praetorian Palace, the seat of the museums.
In the vicinity of the Square are the 13th century Public Fountain, the 'Palace of Plenty', the ancient Mint and the Church of San Michele. Head along Via Roma to Porta Senese and Silici Gate, beyond which more interesting buildings can be seen: the Fortezza Senese and the Tower of the Candle; while in Piazza Matteotti some further buildings stand out, such as the Palazzo delle Armi ( XV century), the church of Saint Augustine (XIII century), with one nave and with a painting by Lorenzo Lippi (“The Flight into Egypt”), and finally, the Church of San Francesco.

Massa Marittima Duomo

The heart of the Old Town of Massa Marittima is certainly the 13th century Cathedral of St. Cerbone. The facade of the church, very attractive, is composed of two architectural styles: at the top stands a gallery supported by slender columns resting on statues, while the bottom and the sides are characterized by a sequence of 'blind' arches, interrupted only by large portals. The left side of the cathedral features a bell tower decorated with narrow column-mullioned windows and four-trefoils. Inside, the aisles are divided by columns of travertine; but what is most striking for the visitor are the numerous and unique works of art. Among these, the stories of the New Testament, the scenes of life on St. Cerbone (XIII century), and finally the stoup, also of the thirteenth century. Another valuable work of art is a crucifix, probably by Segna di Bonaventura; and no less ancient and valuable is the altarpiece of the 'Madonna delle Grazie'.

Massa Maritimma Museums

The Museum system of Massa Marittima, based around the Praetorian Palace, is one of the richest in Italy. In fact it has ten museums, among which are the Archaeological Museum, divided into an impressive series of sections (Villanova, Orientalizing, classical, Hellenistic and Roman). Very interesting for ancient artefacts is the Villanova Section, where various archaeological evidences show that in the first phase and of their history, the Etruscans inhabited the territory of Massa Marittima. Surrounding the Accesa Lake, a vast necropolis was discovered, probably dating back to the ninth -VII century BC.

In the Museum of History and Mines, the exhibition is divided into four rooms, two on each floor of the building. In room I is the floor plan of Massa Marittima territory at the time of domination of the Etruscan town of Vetulonia (VII - VI BC). In room II are displayed in the hall floor plan of Massa Marittima in the period when it was a free Municipality (1225 - 1335), and a panel depicting a copy of the so-called "Mining Code of Massa Marittima”, a set of regulations relating to mining of the ancient City (XIII century) and, finally, other panels that illustrate the history of mining in the city from medieval to modern times. In room III there is a collection of minerals and in Room IV, the evolution of the plans of the city over the centuries, along with tools for the detection and extraction of ore.
Other museums include: the Museum of Accesa Lake, Museum of Sacred Art, of Mine, of the Candlestick Tower, of Ancient Old Mill and of Ancient Joinery.

Tuscany | Tuscany Massa Marittima

The name, "Massa Marittima", has its roots in the Latin "Mansus," a term that refers to the verb "manere", or " to dress", “to dwell”; the name is similar to many other Italian towns, such as “Massa Carrara” and “Massa Lombarda”. The second term, "Marittima", obviously refers to the classic "Maremma" Tuscany, a green place and formerly covered with water and swamps. In fact, according to some scholars, the words "Marittima", despite its undoubted Latin origin ( "Maritime"), would have many affinities with the Spanish term "marismas", which means "swamp". The overall name thus describes an "inhabited village" near the marshes, namely the "Maremma". Tuscany is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Known for its enchanting landscapes, its fantastic and genuine food and beautiful towns as Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Siena. Podere Santa Pia is situated in a distinctive location where green wooded hillsides give way to entirely different surroundings known as the Maremma. The countryside is both lunar and sublime. The hillsides are decorated with sunflowers, wheat fields and fragrant pastures as well as numerous impressive vineyards. This privileged location offers a spectacular vista over the charming medieval town of Cinigiano and the entire Ombrone Valley. It is the perfect place for your relaxing holiday with your friends and family. The property consists of 4 large bedrooms furnished in a classic Tuscan style and 2 bathroom with shower, a big full-equipment kitchen with a fireplace and a big living room and dining room. With its original kitchen and the wood burning pizza oven, Podere Santa Pia offers an upbeat atmosphere. The farmhouse has been renovated and provided with all modern comforts (satellite TV, Wi-Fi Internet access, washing machine, dishwasher, and so on), with an eye to preserve the typical and charming elements of these rural lodgings. There you have, then, cosy and warm rooms with traditional terracotta-tiled floors, stone walls and wood-beamed ceilings. And the kitchen, furnished for pleasant meals with traditional Tuscan dishes (bread soup or "ribollita", tomato soup, "fettunta", Florentine-style steak, stewed wild boar, cinta senese cured meat, and other Tuscan specialities). The impressive garden (9000 square mt.) allows you to enjoy a relaxing holiday and is perfect for taking time out and lounging about while sipping on a glass of local wines, Montecucco DOC and Brunello DOC. Sitting in the garden, one can enjoy our dawns and dusks, with their jubilee of colours ranging from dark yellow to pink, orange and red. In this scenario, it is often possible to observe the flight of pheasants, falcons and buzzards, great tits, chaffinches and sparrows. This is an enchanting place far from noise, ideal to regenerate body and mind, where one has the opportunity enjoy pleasant walks or rides on mountain bike. The summer breeze that caresses Podere Santa Pia guarantees "cool" holidays even in the hottest weather. Tuscan farmhouses \| Podere Santa Pia




Caldana	Sovicille, Pieve di San Giovanni Battistaa Ponte allo Spino	Lago dell'Accesa

Cantina Petra by Mario Botta in Suvereto	San Gimignano, view from Rocca di Montestaffoli	Colle di Val d'Elsa Gavorrano
Castelnuovo Berardenga, at the southern border of the Chianti Classico wine territory, is a pleasant enough place to visit. It has an interesting old clock tower and a relaxing ambience. However, the main reasons to visit Castelnuovo Berardenga lie more in the surrounding area, particularly the Certosa of Pontignano, the italianate gardens of Villa Chigi Saracini and Villa di Geggiano, the English garden of Villa di Monaciano, and villages such as San Gusmè. The Villa Chigi Saracini was designed in the early 19 C by its owner, Galgano Saracini, and stands at the entrance to the Castelnuovo Berardenga. Its construction led to a radical alteration of the urban layout of Castelnuovo Berardenga, with the demolition of the enceinte around the castle and its replacement by a retaining wall. The building is rectangular in plan and spreads over three floors, the lower portion being rusticated and the upper floors finished in plaster. The main elevations have two rounded-arch doorways, flanked by double pilaster strips terminating in corbels that support the balconies above. There is a crest on the front and the rear of the building: the one on the side facing north is that of the Chigi Della Rovere, the one on the south side is that of the Saracini Marescotti. Casole d'Elsa is a little idyllic hilltop town with the most beautiful country side surrounding it. The area counts 3.000 inhabitants called Casolesi. Casole d'Elsa is an extensive Commune and is placed close to the source of the river Elsa. For this reason the area was highly populated back in Etruscan times, and several remnants can be found in the area. Casole has always been under the influence of the big cities, first by Volterra that back in the middle ages became a bishop ship, then followed a short time of independence where Casole had its own town administration (the town hall building testifies to this). Finally, after 1260 the town fell in the hands of Siena. Today the town appears particularly well kept and, in fact, the town administration often organizes cultural events such as art shows. The town lives off of tourism which has increased a lot in the last few years and off of agriculture. Lately the area has been given its own DOC for winemaking. Abbazia di Conéo, Badia a Coneo near Campiglia, is a Romanesque structure that was founded by the Vallombrosan monks at the start of the 12 C and is one of the most interesting examples of religious architecture near Colle Val d'Elsa. Its plan is in the shape of the Latin cross, as is typical of Vallombrosan churches, and the intersection of the nave and the transept is surmounted by a sectioned dome, which is octagonal inside. The internal capitals and the cornice which runs round the outside of the building are decorated with starred flowers and other geometrical devices, of great artistic beauty. The building possesses a number of pre-Romanesque features, with numerous external brackets in the shape of imaginary animals. Here one can join the historic Via Francigena. San Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill town and is mainly famous for its medieval architecture, especially its towers. While in other cities, such as Bologna or Florence, most or all of their towers have been brought down due to wars, catastrophes, or urban renewal, San Gimignano has managed to conserve fourteen towers of varying height which have become its international symbol. The heart of the town contains the four squares, Piazza della Cisterna, Piazza Duomo where the Collegiata church is located, Piazza Pecori, and Piazza delle Erbe. The main streets are Via San Matteo and Via San Giovanni, which cross the city from north to south. There are many churches in the town: the two main ones are the Collegiata, formerly a cathedral, and Sant'Agostino, housing a wide representation of artworks from some of the main Italian renaissance artists. The Communal Palace, once seat of the podestà, is currently home of the Town Gallery, with works by Pinturicchio, Benozzo Gozzoli, Filippino Lippi, Domenico di Michelino, Pier Francesco Fiorentino, and others. The little Romanesque Pieve di Sant'Appiano has XV and XVI-century frescoes. On the lawn in front of it are four pillars, testimonials of the ancient baptistery built there by early Christians and torn down in 1805. Adjacent to the entrance to the rectory is the little archaeological museum that preserves some finds from the area. The Antiquarium of Sant’Appiano is a small archaeological museum located in rooms adjoining the Pieve di Sant’Appiano just a few km from Barberino Val d’Elsa. It houses some of the material found during archaeological digs in the surrounding area following the first accidental discoveries at the beginning of the 20 C.
Certaldo Certaldo is a small Tuscany town of medieval origin, which was born in an area of ancient human settlement located in the Val d'Elsa. The name comes from the Latin "Cerrus Altus", a reference to the fact that the area was at that time wooded. A brief history of Certaldo In ancient times the site was inhabited by the Etruscans (archaeological excavations have unearthed several tombs, remains of temples, inscriptions and ancient coins). The area of Certaldo was later almost certainly a Roman colony, but from this time until the early Middle Ages the history of the town is almost completely unknown. From the 12th century it is known that Certaldo was a fief of the powerful Counts Alberti from Prato ('Vernio' and 'Mangosa'), and the setting for many struggles between the local ruling familes. By the end of the 12th century the Counts Alberti were forced to accept the rule of Florence, and from that moment the history of Certaldo is indistinguishable from that of Florence. Under Florentine rule the city experienced great prosperity, largely due to the towns proximity to the important Via Francìgena, the trade route to France. With prosperity Certaldo grew larger and additional settlements developed down the hillsides below the original village, along the Via Francìgena. Certaldo was held in high esteem by Florence, and at the beginning of the fifteenth century, it became the seat of a Vicariate - an important centre for local administration From the end of the first Florentine Republic and the Medici dynasty Certaldo became (in the first half of the 18th century) a domain of Lorraine. It saw further economic development in the 19th century, coinciding with the construction of the railroad that gave a considerable boost to manufacturing and trade. Today Certaldo is essentially a famous tourist destination both for its historical buildings, perfectly preserved in the upper part of the city, and for the landscapes of the area. Certaldo: the Giovanni Boccaccio’s city A visit to Certaldo may start from the house of its most illustrious and famous citizen, Giovanni Boccaccio, born here in 1313 (d. 1375), and universally well-known both as the author of 'Decameron' and various other works - he is one of the most afmous of the Middle Age writers - and for being a great humanist. Reach the house along 'Via Boccaccio'. Boccaccio's house was seriously damaged during the World War II, but was meticulously restored after the war. The façade, with a tower and balcony, is in brickwork; while information about the life and work of Boccaccio is presented using audiovisual displays in the room on the ground floor. In the Poet's room you can admire a fresco by Pietro Benvenuti (1820) [1769-1844], that survived the bombing, and other common objects used in the Middle Ages. Today the house is also home to the 'Centro Nazionale di Studi sul Boccaccio' (National Centre of studies on Boccaccio), which houses in its rich library a large number of foreign translations of the Decameron. Other sights in Certaldo Next to the house of Boccaccio is the 13th century Church of Saint Michael and Jacob, in Romanesque style and with a single nave, which houses a remarkable 14th century fresco by a Sienese artist ('Madonna Enthroned with Saints'). In the same church you can see the tomb of the great writer of Certaldo. Also in the upper city, which is well preserved and features many medieval buildings, you can admire the Palazzo del Vicario (the Praetorian Palace), former residence of the Counts Alberti and constructed on the existing structure of the castle - an important building with arched windows and a decorative facade with merlons and a tower. Inside the palace you can visit the Knights Room (with paintings by Francesco Fiorentino (1445-1497), the 'Madonna and Child' and 'Dead Christ') and the Audience Hall (with paintings again by Francesco Fiorentino, the 'Pietà' and 'Doubting Thomas'). Another building of some importance is the Church and the Cloister of Saint Thomas, where some frescos by Benozzo Gozzoli are preserved. Very interesting is the 'Museo d'Arte Sacra', full of ancient sacred vessels, among them a wooden crucifix (XIII century, the so-called "Christ Triumphant").