This is the main town in Maremma, situated 10 m. above sea level on a reclaimed plain to the right of the Ombrone river, just before this flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The town lies down in the plain of Tuscan Maremma and it is a few Kilometres away from Tirrenian sea.

Situated in an area rich in naturalistic and cultural value, Grosseto has both agricultural and industrial sectors and is an important crossroads on the train route from Rome. The splendid Maremma coast, favoring the development of a cultivated tourism that respects the environment, includes the Nature Park of the Uccellina and the beautiful hinterlands, rich in archaeological sights and medieval towns.

Of medieval origin, it grew after the destruction (10th century) of the nearby town of Roselle at the hands of the Saracens. Later ruled by the Aldobrandeschis in 1336 it came under the dominion of Siena. After the defeat of Siena by Florence, in 1569, it shared the fortunes of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Grosseto subsequently declined following a malaria epidemic, but began to recover after reclamation of the surrounding area, starting in the second half of the 18th century, continuing in the 19th and in the present century (1930). It was heavily bombed during the last War.

The town is largely modern in appearance, apart from its centre, inside a circle of 16th century hexagonal walls, transformed in the 19th century into tree-lined bastions.

Monuments: Fortezza Medicea (16th century), church of S. Francesco (13th century, Gothic façade, inside a Cross painted by Duccio di Buoninsegna), Duomo (13th-14th century), the bastion walls (1574). Nearby Montepescali is a small village of environmental interest.

The local economy is based mostly on commerce and processing of agricultural produce from the fertile hinterland (cereals, vegetables, livestock); there are some engineering and building material companies. Tourism linked to the nearby Marina di Grosseto is reasonably important.

Events: Fiera dei cavalli (horse fair, May), Dog Show (May), Flower exhibition-market (June), various art exhibitions at the archeological museum.

Cultural Institutions: State Archives, Chellian library, Archeological Museum, Civic Natural History Museum, Diocesan Museum of Religious Art (paintings of the 13th-17th century Sienese school), Maremma Historical Society.

History of Grosseto
The Grosseto area has been visited since the Etruscan era, but the city became important only in the High Middle Ages, when it was a highway nexus between Pisa and Rome. After the destruction of Roselle by the Saracens in the 10th century, Grosseto became an episcopality and underwent some development. This, however, ended due to the unhealthy conditions of the swampy territory. During the dominion of the Aldobrandeschi (11th century), Grosseto obtained the status of a commune, but lost this status forever after being conquered by the Sienese in the 14th century. Following the fortunes of the Sienese in the 16th century, the city fell under the Medici, who built new walls and carried out reconstructions to improve the malarial coastline. Under the Lorena, the improvements were finally completed, and Grosseto could begin an ever-stronger urban and economic development.

Things To see
The beautiful city walls from the Medici era (1574) enclose the small historic center. Six hexagonal bastions enclose streets and gardens where (beginning in 1835) the public could stroll. In addition to the medieval fortifications, the walls also contain the imposing Medici Fortress, dominated by the impressive Sienese guardhouse from the 1300?s.

From the Porta Nuova, one reaches the historic center. The Church of S. Peter, one of the oldest in the city, preserves the beautiful Romanesque abbey and a large bell tower crowned by a peculiar dome. The Church of S. Francesco, erected by the Benedictine order in the 13th century, has a simple Francescan Gothic character (14th century). A beautiful doorway and a rose window decorate the chambered façade. The suggestive internal nave is illuminated by large Gothic windows and frescoes from the Sienese School. It is enriched by a beautiful Crucifix, a work attributed to Duccio di Buoninsegna. In the cloister there are two valuable Renaissance wells. The Duomo of S. Lorenzo was created in the 14th century by Sozzo di Rustichino, on the remains of a Romanesque church. The façade is Neogothic in style (19th century), but it conserves the original symbols of the evangelists. The decoration in bi-chrome bands is rendered lighter by an elegant gallery of arcades and a large rose window. The right side still has its finely-illustrated ancient doorway. Within the three-naved interior, one can admire Sienese sculptures from the 15th century: a baptismal font (1470) and an elegant 15th-century altarpiece with a painting on wood of the Assumption executed by Matteo di Giovanni. The brick bell tower from the 1400?s has often been repaired.

The itinerary of the city concludes with the interesting Museum of Art and Archeology of the Maremma. Besides archeological remains from the Grosseto region, it also houses precious collections of sacred art from the former museum of the Diocese. The archeological section includes remains datable from the lower Paleolithic to the Middle Ages. The collection of sacred art includes paintings from the Sienese, Florentine and Pisan Schools (13th to the 17th centuries). In the section of minor arts there are decorated books, ceramics, and a collection of wooden statues.

Art of Grosseto
Museum of Art and Archeology of the Maremma Piazza Baccarini

How To Arrive
By car State road SS1 or Superhighway 1 from Livorno.
State road SS 73 from Siena.
Highway A12 and then Superhighway 1 from Rome.
By train Rail communications follow the route of the main roads; connections with Livorno, Viterbo and Rome.
By Air The closest airport is G. Galilei of Pisa (tel. 050/500707).

How To Get Around
The little historic center is a pedestrian area. One can park near the principle entrances into the walls.

Useful Addresses
Tourist Information
APT Agency for the Promotion of Tourism
Viale Monte Rosa 206, tel. 0564/454527
Tourist Information Office, tel: 0564/454510

The Food in Grosseto
The dish par excellence in Maremma gastronomy is "acqua cotta" (?cooked water?), a flavorful soup of peasant origin made with vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, toasted bread and pecorino cheese. One of the simplest soups, "acqua pazza" (?crazy water?), is made with aromatic herbs, leeks and bread. Lombard bean soup was imported by Lombard workers, who were working in the 19th century to reclaim the swamps. The ?macaroni maremmani? is flavored with a sauce made from rabbit, sausage, tomato and mushrooms. Among second dishes, those tied to traditional hunting in the hinterlands and to coastal fishing are pre-eminent: caldaro, a flavorful fish soup, scaveccio di anguille (eel), scottiglia (stew made from mixed meats), buglione di agnello (lamb), and steamed boar. The local side dishes are simple, but flavorful: famed tomatoes and porcini mushrooms and all garden greens in season.

Shopping in Grosseto
Strolling through the center of town, one can acquire the products of local artisans: ceramics and jewelry inspired by Etruscan art, hand-made accessories in leather, shoes, trappings for horses, and traditional Maremma saddles. Not to be missed are the best of the Maremma pork products (finocchiona, boar?s ham, sauces from wild game) and other excellent local products such as cheeses (pecorino from Manciano, Ginestrino in Maremma), aromatic olive oils, vegetables under oil, and prestigious wines (Morelino di Scansano, Alberese, Capalbio, Bianco di Pitigliano).

Theatres Teatro degli Industri Via Mazzini.

In the Province: Vetulonia (Etruscan necropolis), Orbetello, Castiglione della Pescaia (seaside resort), Follonica, Gavorrano (mining), Massa Marittima (city of art).