Our Archaeology itineraries in Maremma

A Maremma waiting to be discovered in the company of professional archaeologists with in-depth knowledge of the Maremma region…

 

Itinerary I

The Maremma Cities between Antiquity and the Middle Ages: Roselle and Grosseto from the Etruscans to the Grand Duchy  

A journey into the heart of the Maremma  that from the origins of the ancient city of Roselle will move in time and space through the Etruscan, Roman and Middle Ages to reach the nearby city of Grosseto, where we will search for hidden traces of the medieval origins of the Maremma capital. We will discover monuments in the historic center and the imposing Renaissance walls, commissioned by the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, still fully preserved today. A visit to the Archaeological and Art Museum of Maremma.

Upon request, archaeological workshops can be held in the archaeological park's educational area. To learn more about our educational activities, click here. here.

 

 

Itinerary II

Vetulonia, the ancient city of metals.

Vetulonia It was one of the richest and most refined cities of the Etruscan culture. Thanks to its control of the mining basin of Metalliferous Hills Its founders became among the most capable metalworkers of the time and in particular experts and renowned connoisseurs of goldsmith production, many examples of which are preserved today inside the local museum.

The Isidoro Falchi Civic Museum It is divided into seven rooms that tell the story of the city and the territory from its origins, in the Villanovan age (9th-8th century BC) up to the Hellenistic and Roman era with finds from Costa Murata and Poggiarello Renzetti (among which the architectural terracottas that decorated the portico of the so-called 'House of Medea' are noteworthy) as well as funerary objects and votive offerings from the period.”

 

Itinerary III

Monterotondo Marittimo and the Rocca degli Alberti in the Middle Ages.

The ancient and until a few years ago unknown heart of Monterotondo, in the area of Metalliferous Hills, it's the medieval one Alberti Fortress, which has been the subject of intense archaeological excavations by the University of Siena in recent years. The medieval fortress was reopened to the public in 2014 thanks to the restoration and museumization of the archaeological area, which tells the most curious visitors about the Middle Ages the most ancient events of this important castle, whose origins date back to the 10th century AD.

The Coopera archaeologists, after having archaeologically investigated the monumental complex and collaborated on the Valorization project, will lead you by the hand to discover the most fascinating mysteries of the Rocca dei Principi Alberti.

 

Itinerary IV

The Rocca di San Silvestro in the heart of the Campiglia Marittima Archaeological Mining Park.

Trekking to the Fortress of San Silvestro. Located behind Campiglia Marittima and of the promontory of PiombinoThe park extends over an area of approximately 450 hectares. The visitor routes wind through museums, mining tunnels, a medieval village of miners and smelters founded about a thousand years ago, and paths of historical, archaeological, geological and naturalistic interest.

 

The visit to the castle of Rocca San Silvestro, a village that seems to have frozen at the moment of its abandonment in the 14th century, will be made unique not only by the wonderful landscape of the Park and the beauty of the site, but also by the possibility of visiting up close a real medieval construction site, reconstructed by Coopera archaeologists over the past few years. Those interested will be able to try their hand at the work of artisans and stonemasons, squaring ashlars with ancient traditional tools and preparing mortar as was done in the 12th and 13th centuries.

 

 

Itinerary V

Piombino and the Castle and Medieval Ceramics Museum.

Walk to discover the historic center of Piombino and of the brand new Museum located in the monumental complex of the CastleHere, a new and fascinating museum itinerary offers an original way to retrace the history of Piombino between the 13th and 14th centuries, thanks also to the most modern exhibition choices.

The exceptional discovery of an impressive collection of medieval ceramic vessels has also provided insight into the artifacts' entire life cycle, from their production to their use in medieval cuisine and on the table. Models, graphic reconstructions, and multimedia displays make the visit even more stimulating.

 

Itinerary VI

Archaeological trekking among the fortresses and fortresses of the Maremma.

One of the most evocative places in the Maremma hills is undoubtedly the Sassoforte Castle, partly for the grandeur of its ruins, partly for the beauty of the forest and the surrounding landscape. Former property of Count Ildebrando Aldobrandeschi, at the beginning of the 13th century it was dominated by the counts of SassoforteIn the 14th century, the fortress was sold to the city of Siena, which ordered the demolition of the walls and keep. Its state of abandonment forced the inhabitants to take refuge in nearby Sassofortino.

The path leading to the ruins is dotted with enormous boulders of trachytic rock, used as a source of building materials, along with the rock walls immediately beneath the castle walls. The settlement, irregularly elliptical in shape, comprised numerous dwellings that made up the village, stately buildings, and a church, the latter protected by a high wall.

 

 

It went down in history for the famous siege it suffered at the hands of the Sienese army led by Guido Riccio of Fogliano in 1328 and for the fresco of the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena which depicts the episode, the existence of the Montemassi Castle It has been mentioned in documents since 1075, and its imposing remains can still be admired today in the highest part of the village. The majestic remains of a building known as the palatium and a polygonal tower dominate the village and the entire valley below. Trachyte, the stone that served as a common thread throughout the medieval architecture of the Roccastra area, has been present since the earliest phases of the settlement, where its presence was limited to the most valuable architectural elements.

 

 

Itinerary VII

Montieri and the Rectory of San Niccolò. 

Montieri it is today a peripheral center, among the Metalliferous Hills, far from the communication routes and even more so from the coast. Few know its history as the flagship castle of the Bishop of Volterra, which made it an important centre for the extraction and smelting of metals and silver to mint coins in the local episcopal mint. The heart of Volterra's mineral resources, it was disputed between the Sienese and the Florentines. Its importance is evidenced by the tower houses preserved in the village, by the building of the Foundries, from the Keep of the bishop and the church of St. James the Apostle. Outside the walls of the village the importance of this castle and its territory in these centuries is finally testified by the archaeological excavation of the rectory of San Niccolò, reachable with an easy walk in the woods and made unique by the now well-known and fascinating six-pointed church.

 

Itinerary VIII

The Romans conquer Etruria: the colony of Cosa

The ancient Roman colony of What bears witness with its monumental and panoramic remains to the victory of Rome on theEtruriaThe Romanization of this territory is told in every single stone of the turreted walls, in the monumental remains of theArx, in the paved square of the Forum, in its residential quarters, in the traces left by the flourishing port below and by the imposing drainage works with fabulous names of Queen's Split And Etruscan SlicedA stroll through history and nature, shaded by olive trees and Mediterranean scrub, to rediscover a small but important city in the history of Etruria.