Ribolla

Ribolla was built in the 19th century as a home for miners in the area.

During World War I, captured Austrian and Hungarian soldiers were forced to work here, but in 1954, one of Europe’s worst mining tragedies closed the mines forever. A gas explosion killed 43 people, many of whom died because they had not received gas masks. The funeral was attended by more than 50,000 people.

Ribolla looks a bit like those mining towns you see in amusement parks. All the original buildings-the train station, movie theater, and canteens-have been converted into homes for modern residents.

Ribolla’s most famous monument is the church above. It is the Church of Saints Barbara and Paul, dedicated to Roccastrada’s patron saint Santa Barbara, and built in 1941.

It is not often that you see a town preserved in such a specific era of modern history, but it is a truly peaceful and poetic place to visit and breathe in the mining spirit of the Maremma.