Maremma is a large area in southern Tuscany. It is a perfect microcosm that stretches between the provinces of Livorno and Grosseto. Maremma is unique because of the variety of its territory: blue sea, long beaches, black rock, hills covered with woods, marshes and flat lands, green hills and natural thermal baths.
It’s a timeless region with ancient roots. Here the Etruscans and then the Romans flourished for centuries leaving behind important traces in the Etruscan cities.
What to visit:
Southern Maremma and its Ports
This area borders Lazio and is maybe the most representative area of the whole region. Here stands the “Silver Coast” (Costa D’Argento) with the Argentario peninsula overlooking the last part of Tuscan sea and the Natural Park of Maremma or Uccellina Park. Orbetello bound by its lagoon, Talamone with its castle and ancient center, Capalbio and the Tarot Garden, the Argentatio peninsula known for its rocks and clear sea with charming Porto Ercole and Porto S. Stefano are just a few of the beautiful places in this part of the Maremma. The inner area is famous for its tuforock and its Etruscan roots, as attested by the towns of Pitigliano, Sorano and Sovana. Nearby are the famous thermal baths of Saturnia. And also to not forget, Magliano, Montemerano and the beautiful island of Giglio.
What to eat:
Maremma certainly deserves a visit because it is unique. It isn’t just culture and breathtaking panoramas, but wine tasting and typical products as well. The food in Maremma is simple and traditional made out of local, seasonal products to be eaten with a good glass of wine, such as Morellino or the white wine from Pitigliano. The most representative dish is acquacotta, a dish that has fed the people of the Maremma for generations and a symbol of making a virtue out of necessity. In fact, there isn’t just one recipe of this traditional dish because every housewife had their own and used seasonal products from their garden and cheese from their own flock. The must-have ingredient for all recipes is the extra virgin olive oil from Maremma.
FOR EXCURSIONS
-Monte Amiata
-Argentario http://www.monteargentario.info/trekking.htm
-Monte Verro
-Parco della Maremma http://www.parco-maremma.it/
-Vulci
-Giardino dei Tarocchi
-Taquinia e Cerveteri (Lazio)
-Tuscania
-Viterbo (Lazio)
Going to the Beache:
-Macchiatonda
-La Torba
-Ansedonia (rent a bike and go over all the pineta)
-Chiarone
In summer the region is full of sagre
The sagre are organized and celebrated by the local people so the tourists can feel the real atmosphere of the countryside feast.
The sagra, or local food festivals in Tuscany, is often dedicated to some specific local food, and the name of the sagra includes that food. For example, you can find a Sagra della Rana (frog), a Sagra della Cipolla (onion), a Sagra della Cozza (mussel), a Sagra del Cinghiale (wild boar) and so on. Usually it is organized in the outdoor, like the stadium or the square. The food is cooked by the local people on site.
How do the local food festivals in Tuscany work? When on site, first you need to take a menu and write down you order (put the quantity next to the dish name), then go to the cash to order and to pay. You will get a number which will be called when your food is ready (so first the water, wine and dishes, take a sit and wait :)).
Tasting Diary 