THE TUSCAN MAREMMA
Maremma leans its back on the borders of southern Tuscany and Lazio as if it were playing hide and seek. She’s quiet, humble, and if you blink, you could almost lose sight of her. Most tourists do it: Maremma, in fact, despite its size, is unknown to most of the visitors who come to Tuscany from all over the world. The province is the largest in the region and covers 4,500 km2; but it is difficult to find it on the map. In fact, “Maremma” is a storybook name that, over the course of the
history, indicated the heart of Etruria, enclosed medieval dreams of feudal dominion, welcomed the Medici and Napoleon Bonaparte and warned travelers about the presence of bloodthirsty brigands. In more recent times, Maremma has come to coincide with the territory of the Province of Grosseto, but this grouping under a single entity does not fully reflect reality; in fact, the Maremmani are historically and decisively opposed to unification. They even have a word for this attitude of theirs: parochialism – pride in one’s own country which leads one to consider it infinitely better than neighboring ones, the rest of the province, the whole region. But it is certainly not a new concept: every town in the Tuscan Maremma, from the smallest to the largest, has in fact developed independently over the millennia.
Each has its own history and heritage, particular dishes and unique stories and legends. Maremma people are storytellers, a habit rooted in the 19th century, when malaria made their lives difficult and short. “Maremma is full of the picturesque and beautiful; a peculiar and somewhat wild beauty, it is true, like that of an Indian maiden, but fascinating in its wild and uncultivated flourish.”
George Dennis, Victorian explorer, 1832.
Maremma is the antithesis of art cities smothered in tourists, it is simple in both landscape and lifestyle, and promises la dolce vita and a Tuscany off the beaten track; the kind of place that shouldn’t even have a guidebook, as too many visitors could spoil its charm as a wild and unexplored land. Maremma has retained its natural beauty, agrarian charm and simple traditions because it has been neglected as a tourist destination for so long. With tourists only now starting to trickle in, the province remains an example of Italy in the early 1960s, before gimmicky souvenir shops and dreadful tourist menus took hold. Maremma Toscana is a micro-region in itself, with all the ingredients for an unforgettable holiday. Its proximity to Rome and Florence makes it an ideal destination for those who love the traditional flavors of provincial cuisine, those who go in search of leftovers Etruscans, Roman, well-preserved medieval and Renaissance cities, those who want to get lost in a paradisiacal landscape, where you can go from the beaches of theArgentario to the snow-capped mountains of theAmiata in just a few hours, of course including a stop at the famous Terme di Saturnia. And because after all we are also here in Italy, even for those who prefer style to tradition. On the Maremma coast, spectacular seaside resorts have become a center of attraction for the jet-set, and towns such as Capalbio e Massa Marittima, the epitome of shopping and cultural activities. So congratulations for choosing Maremma. Like all good things, it won’t stay hidden forever.
MAREMMA MAP
Maremma is divided into 5 areas, each particular and different in terms of characteristics, history and traditions:
Discover Argentario, Giglio Island and Giannutri Island
Explore the wonders of the Argentario and its islands with Maregiglio ‘s mini-cruises and the exclusive Favorita sul Mare boats.
Plan your trip
Activities not to be missed
The best of the best. The attractions not to be missed in the Tuscan Maremma
What to see in Maremma
Every corner of the Maremma has something special to offer.
