Top 12 Castles around Massa Marittima

Sassetta (LI), the Church and Fountain of the Annunciation is an ancient religious building located in a wooded valley along the provincial road connecting Sassetta to Suvereto, in the Prata area. The main church of the village is that of Sant’Andrea Apostolo (famous for the rock crystal crucifix). The Church of the Annunciation is a small Romanesque church in a precarious state of preservation, immersed in vegetation. Next to the church, there is still an active water fountain, protected by a small, also degraded, masonry structure.

The Archaeological Museum is housed in the ancient Palazzo del Podestà (1225), which overlooks the Piazza del Duomo of Massa Marittima. The collection is organized into sections, ordered chronologically from the lower paleolithic to the etruscan age; the main piece of the prehistoric collection is the eneolithic statue-stele of Vado all’Arancio, the only find of its type in Maremma; the etruscan finds come mainly from excavations carried out at the village of Lago dell’Accesa, they are mainly kitchenware, loom weights, fishing weights and bricks; also present are the funerary trousseaux found in the necropolises, especially pottery (figulina clay and bucchero), bronze fibulae, iron pot stands, iron and bronze weapons. On the ground floor, an educational section is set up with a life-size reconstruction of typical caves: a paleolithic and an eneolithic one. Guided tours and educational activities, organization of cultural events and film screenings are available.

The massive Torre del Candeliere (or clock tower) is 24m high and was built to assert its authority in 1228, a few years after Massa Marittima gained independence as a Free Commune. The building's peculiar name derives from the custom of always keeping a fire lit on its summit, making it resemble a huge candle. In 1413, a bell was placed for the first time, later replaced in 1760 by the current one, weighing about 140kg. The first clock was instead placed on the facade in 1443. The Torre del Candeliere is the quintessential panoramic viewpoint of the town. It is therefore visitable, and through its Sienese Arch, it is possible to access the Fortress, the only stretch of walls still walkable today. The Arch and the Fortress were built after the Tower: with the conquest of Massa by Siena in 1335, the Tower was partially demolished, and then rebuilt about a third lower than the original.

The Montemassi fortress was an imposing medieval fortification that overlooked the entire village from the top of the hill.

The castle is undoubtedly the most famous monument in the municipality of Roccastrada, if not in the entire Upper Maremma, due to its historical significance (it is depicted in the famous fresco "Guidoriccio da Fogliano at the Siege of Montemassi" in Siena's Palazzo Pubblico, attributed to Simone Martini) and for its outstanding example of Gothic architecture. The fortification, which crowns a 280-meter hill above the town, consists of the remains of two main buildings: to the north is the Palazzo/Mastio, with the base of the sloping wall featuring numerous large windows, indicating its residential and not strictly military function, and the remains of a polygonal tower. Inside the Palazzo

An ancient village once owned by the Aldobrandeschi family and then by Siena, it still bears the marks of the past rulers: the keep, the surrounding walls, and the evocative arched gateway are well preserved. The medieval features of the church of San Sebastiano, renovated in the 18th century, are still evident. Coming to today, I recommend a refreshing stop, perhaps for an aperitif, at Barrino di Tatti, just outside the medieval village. The food is excellent, while from the terrace and dining room, we gaze across the Maremma to the sea.

Massa Marittima is a fortified medieval village located on a hill, known for its beauty and wealth of artistic and architectural heritage. Key attractions include the magnificent Piazza Garibaldi, with the Cathedral of San Cerbone, the Palazzo del Podestà, and the Palazzo Comunale. Other points of interest include the Fonti dell'Abbondanza with its famous fresco of the Tree of Fertility and, in the upper town, the Torre del Candeliere and the Cassero Senese within the medieval walls.

The Torre del Candeliere is a museum monument that is an integral part of the Massa Marittima Museum System. The tower was erected in 1228 to both monitor the area (as a watchtower) and assert the authority of the Municipality of Massa Marittima, which had recently freed itself from the rule of the Prince-Bishop. The tower was originally a third taller than its current counterpart, the result of Siena's reconstruction following the war that brought it victory over Massa. Another Sienese initiative was the construction of the majestic arch connecting it to the Cassero, built in the center of the city to monitor the still-rebellious Massa Marittima residents, ready to rise up.