MEDIEVAL TOWNS

The Tombolo Talasso Resort is an excellent base for those who wish to spend some time visiting the medieval towns and the areas of artistic and cultural relevance of this part of Tuscany. On the hills and facing the sea, or immersed in pinewoods and forests, the villages of the Etruscan Coast have century old origins and traditions. Their small stone roads will guide you among ancient churches, castles, buildings, museums and theatres to discover this enchanting culture.

See www.valdicornia.com

Castagneto Carducci e la Torre

The area of Castagneto Carducci offers a multitude of different landscapes: a countryside scattered with villas, farmhouses and estates, soft hills in the typical Tuscan shades, small medieval towns, and immense pinewoods reaching out to touch the sea. Castagneto Carducci is a town full of tradition. Its old village clusters around the Conti della Gherardesca Castle through a circular system of roads and is well-preserved and rich in historical remains which can be admired while strolling among the tight stone-paved alleys, the small squares and the charming ancient buildings.

The story of the Donoratico Tower, built by the Etruscans, is closely linked to the life of the famous Count Ugolino. Born in 1210, e was Count of Donoratico and second Lord of Pisa. In 1284 he lost the battle of Meloria against Genoa's fleet and ended his life in the Gualandi Tower of Pisa where he was imprisoned with his sons and nephews. The poet Dante Alighieri in the Divina Commedia makes a dramatic and merciless description of him in the 33 rd canto of the Inferno while he practices cannibalism on the poor children.
www.liberliber.it

Bolgheri


You reach Bolgheri by the Viale dei Cipressi, a beautiful shady road lined with cypresses, sung in a famous poem by Giosuè Carducci, and enter the village by an ancient brick arch. The Castle of Bolgheri has a charm all of its own: through the years, the town has preserved its original architecture and everything is as if time had stopped. Only the ever-changing colours of the countryside all around measure the cycle of the seasons.

Suvereto


The town of Suvereto rises on a hill not far from the sea and is among the oldest villages of the Conia Valley. The first settlements date back to the end of the Roman Empire when the coastal communities where forced to move to the hills to escape danger. The centre of the town still maintains its historical and artistic value and a authentically medieval atmosphere.
www.etruscan.li.it/comunedisuvereto

Massa Marittima


Located 20 kms from the sea and 400 m above sea level, the town of Massa Marittima is composed of the “old city”, the medieval village developed around artistic treasures like the magnificent Duomo, and the “new city”, an urban development begun in 1228. The town's main industry centres on the valorisation of its artistic and cultural heritage and on the growth of its great tourist potential.
www.massamarittima.it

Campiglia Marittima


Though the history of Campiglia Marittima goes back thousands of years, the town today still preserves the charm of the original medieval castle immersed in the piece and silence of this beautiful hills.
www.campigliaonline.it

Bibbona


The town of Bibbona, set on the hills north of Castagneto Carducci, still preserves today the circular urbanistic plan, the small alleys and tight stairways of the original medieval village. In addition to its artistic and historical interests, Bibbona offers nature lovers the possibility of visiting the Macchia della Magona national park which extends for over 1600 acres.
www.comune.bibbona.li.it

Suassetta


The town of Sassetta developed from a feudal castle build on a stony cliff among the eastern hills which enclose the Cornia Valley and deserves to be visited for its history, position and the beauty of the woods surrounding it.

Rosignano Marittimo


Rosignano Marittimo is the third town of the Livorno province for size and population and includes the districts of Rosignano Solvay, Vada and Castiglioncello. Rosignano is a peaceful medieval town of Etruscan origin built on the hills and surrounded by pinewoods and olive groves. Its hilltop districts like Castelnuovo della Misericordia, Gabbro and Nibbiaia, are perfects spots for nature lovers and refuge to a number of natural species.
www.comune.rosignano.livorno.it

Volterra


Volterra is a city with a characteristic Medieval plan and almost completely enclosed inside its 13 th century boundary walls. Thanks to the long isolation which slowed the industrial and commercial development of the village, here a genuine medieval atmosphere can still be found.
www.comune.volterra.pi.it

San Gimignano


San Gimignano rises on a hill (334m high) dominating the Elsa Valley with its towers. Once the seat of a small Etruscan village of the Hellenistic period (200-300 BC) it began its life as a town in the 10th century taking its name from the Holy Bishop of Modena, St. Gimignano, who is said to have saved the village from the barbarian hordes. The town increased in wealth and developed greatly during the Middle Ages thanks to the "Via Francigena", the trading and pilgrim's route that crossed it. Such prosperity lead to the flourishing of works of art to adorn the churches and monasteries.
www.sangimignano.com