The best cycling routes around Massa Marittima

Tatti is an ancient and evocative Italian medieval village, part of the municipality of Massa Marittima, located in the province of Grosseto in Tuscany. Perched at about 412 meters above sea level on the Colline Metallifere, it overlooks the Tuscan Maremma and has a small community of about 200 inhabitants.

Piazza Garibaldi is the monumental heart of Massa Marittima, unanimously considered one of the most beautiful and characteristic medieval squares in all of Tuscany. This urban space stands out for its unusual asymmetrical star (or triangular) shape and for the travertine paving that, at sunset, lights up with warm golden hues.

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.

La Porta San Francesco is one of the historic gates located in the upper part of Massa Marittima, known as Città Nuova, and is part of the medieval defensive system which also includes Porta alle Silici and Porta Eleonora. Located near the church of the same name, San Francesco, it was an integral part of the walls built between the 13th and 14th centuries.

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.

Massa Marittima stands proudly enclosed within a well-preserved city wall. It is a town that has received the Orange Flag from the Touring Club and is rich in medieval artistic testimonies, even though its origins are probably Etruscan. The small streets that cross the hill lead to a magical place where the harmony of the lines amazes, surprises, and invites contemplation. The history of Massa Marittima is closely linked to the silver, copper, and pyrite mines of the Colline Metallifere, exploited since the early metal ages and then especially in the Etruscan and medieval periods.

The perimeter walls are still partially visible, especially in the southern section, where an arched gate surmounted by three rounded stones stands. At the highest point of the hill stands the imposing stone keep, which extends around a courtyard. Within the walls is the church of Santa Maria Assunta, dating back to the 13th century but completely renovated in the late 19th century. It has a distinctive urban layout, dominated by an imposing stone keep arranged around a courtyard accessed through two round-arched gates, defended by a large tower with a massive base.

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.