Massa Marittima
Member of the Italian National Network
Massa Marittima is one of the main cities of art in the Tuscan Maremma. Its territory has been inhabited since prehistoric times and later in Etruscan times, as testified by the Eneolithic stele of 'Vado all'Arancio' and the finds from the Etruscan settlement at Lake Accesa housed in the 'Giovannangelo Camporeale' Archaeological Museum. It was in the medieval period that the city experienced its greatest splendour, as witnessed by the beautiful Cathedral of San Cerbone and the main buildings in the historic centre. Near the Piazza, a visit to le Fonti is a must to discover the unique fruits of the Tree of Fertility fresco, after which it is worth climbing up to the Cassero Senese complex and the Torre del Candeliere, from the top of which there is a breathtaking view over the hills to the sea. Continuing along Corso Diaz, you reach the Church and Cloister of Sant'Agostino, the Museum of Ancient Mechanical Organs and the Museum of San Pietro all'Orto, whose pride and joy is the 'Maestà' by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.
Massa Marittima lies on the western slope of the Metalliferous Hills at an altitude of 400 metres above sea level and is 18 km from the coast. The surrounding area is covered by Mediterranean maquis woods and fields cultivated mainly with vineyards and olive groves.
Massa Marittima has a significant geological heritage and a sustainable development strategy and is one of the Gates of the Unesco Tuscan Mining Geopark.
A visit worth is the lake accesa: a particularly interesting environment protected by the Tuscan regional law.
Its name comes from the term 'massa', which in Roman times indicated landed estates in a single administration and in the Longobard era small fiefdoms and 'marittima', i.e. Maremma.
The history of Massa Marittima has been closely linked to the exploitation of the mineral deposits of the Colline Metallifere since the first age of metals (3rd millennium B.C.) and especially in Etruscan and medieval times. With the transfer of the bishop's seat from Populonia in the 9th century, the city experienced its greatest economic, historical and artistic splendour between the 13th and 14th centuries when it became a Free Commune and minted its own currency, the 'Grosso Massetano'. In 1335, the town lost its political autonomy and was subjugated by Siena, which had been trying to take possession of its mines for some time. There followed a period of economic and demographic decline, with a slight recovery during the rule of the Medici from 1557, until the territory's revival starting in 1737 with the arrival of the Lorraine. Mining began its definitive decline in the 1980s. Since then, Massa Marittima has discovered and cultivated its new vocation for tourism, devoting particular attention to enhancing its historical and artistic heritage.
Presidi Slow Food
https://slowfoodgrosseto.it/pecorino-a-latte-crudo-di-maremma/
Pecorino a latte crudo della Maremma prodotto da Saba Antonio e Saba Angela s.s. Agricola Loc. Cura Nuova, 74 — MASSA MARITTIMA (GR) Tel./Fax 340-3042378 e-mail: angela.saba@virgilio.it
https://slowfoodgrosseto.it/en/raw-milk-pecorino-from-maremma/
The production of raw milk cheese is truly traditional: the milk, fresh from the milk, is already at the ideal temperature (36-38 ° C) to be transformed into cheese with the addition of rennet only; this production is therefore directed from milking to the finished product, does not involve treatments and conditioning, therefore it generates a product that reflects the diversity of pastures and seasonality. The product that is obtained, whether fresh or aged, is therefore a true example of expression of the territory and of the experience of the producer. The ongoing route involves producers from all over the Maremma territory, understood in the widest sense possible, therefore, from the pastures in the metalliferous hills to the north, from the slopes of Amiata in the east, to the plain that descends to the sea. So it is a project that enhances the production chain and the production method (from the Shepherd to the Casaro to the Affinator), the territory, the pastures and the tradition.
Events
- Mostra Scambio Minerali e Fossili – fine settimana di metà luglio.
- Lirica in Piazza (3-4-5 Agosto), Balestro del Girifalco (4° Domenica di Maggio e 14 Agosto)
- Festa di San Cerbone, patrono della città e gara con il tiro della Balestra – 10 ottobre
- Halloween 31 ottobre
- Arte sapori e musica sotto l'albero – periodo Natalizio dall'8 dicembre al 10 gennaio ca.
- Fiere e Mercati: mercato settimanale il Mercoledì, Fiera di Ghirlanda il 1° Settembre, Farina del tuo sacco a Ottobre
- Prodotti tipici: tortelli, cinghiale, vino, olio
Ricette tradizionali – Tortelli Maremmani – Cinghiale con le olive nere – Panzanella – Pappa al pomodoro.
Cittaslow referents
Ufficio turistico di Massa Marittima:
ufficioturistico@comune.massamarittima.gr.it
tel. 0566.906554
Comune di Massa Marittima:
Serena Nocciolini
s.nocciolini@comune.massamarittima.gr.it
tel. 0566.906284 – (Ufficio turistico)