Discover Massa Marittima
Massa Marittima is a little known jewel box of medieval architecture.
Extraordinary monuments and interesting museums offer a wide range of sightseeing possibilities. Numerous bars and gelaterie will make your city tour a pleasant and entertaining experience. The cafés on Piazza Garibaldi invite you to stop and enjoy the lively atmosphere of one of the most beautiful squares in Tuscany.
Twice a year the old town is the stage for a Renaissance festival, the so called Balestro del Girifalco. The historic crossbow tournament in Renaissance costumes takes place on the last Sunday in May and the second Sunday in August. The Calici di stelle, an annual wine festival, showcasing the remarkable wines of the region, and offering you the opportunity to enjoy notable performances of Italian opera on the main square, also takes place in August.
The lovely Piazza Garibaldi is the square at the centre of the Città vecchia, the old town with the cathedral. This Romanesque-gothic Church, constructed in the first half of the 13th century, is dedicated to Saint Cerbonius and impresses with its very unique position on a podium with stairs, which faces the square diagonally. Palazzo Pretorio (the modern Archaeological museum, decorated with the crests of the successive podestà of the city), Palazzo Comunale (the town hall), and Loggia del Comune also face on to the irregularly shaped square. The nearby 13th century Palazzo dell’Abbondanza (Palace of Abundance), once used as a granary, with the famous fresco showing the tree of fertility, is worth a visit.
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A steep, narrow street leads to the 14th century castle outside the city walls, the impressive Arco Senese (1337) as well as to the Città nuova. The new town was constructed in the 13th and 14th centuries and is notable for its perfectly geometric structures. It is one of the earliest examples of Tuscan city planning. Parts of the new town include the church and cloister of Saint Augustine. A walk on the city walls will offer a striking panoramic view of the Maremma landscape and the Gulf of Follonica.
We would like to invite you to take a guided city tour, in order to get to know this charming town and its fascinating history. We also encourage you to take an aperitif afterwards, and enjoy the Mediterranean atmosphere and dolce far niente.