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Discover Gavorrano in the heart of Maremma

Modern Gavorrano has transformed from a small medieval village to a city of art and culture, it’s impossible not to love it!

The visit to Gavorrano is difficult to forget. Lost among gray stone mountains, it seems small and picturesque; at first glance you understand that it is a mining town, just by observing the shadow cast by the looming mountain. Ruled by Vetulonia during the Etruscan era, Gavorrano had a rather quiet history until the 20th century, when 100km of pyrite mines transformed it into a pillar of the Italian industrial economy. Farmers became miners and mines funded everything. Today you can walk through the entire historic center admiring the green shutters on the stone houses and the courtyards overflowing with plants. The soft yellow stones of the city walls wrap around the town, just like the gray mountains and chestnut forests, so you can’t help but feel the beauty of the isolation. If you ask the elders of Gavorrano for their favorite story they will tell you about when Adriano Celentano drove across the country in his red sports car. Or perhaps they will tell you about the director of Casablanca, who drew inspiration for the character of Humphrey Bogart from the adventurous life of the politician Randolfo Pacciardi, born in this area. Or better yet, they will tell you about the nearby Castello di Pietra, described by Dante Alighieri as the place where the beautiful medieval aristocrat Pia dei Tolomei was killed by her jealous husband.

What to see in Gavorrano

Admire the medieval walls of Gavorrano from the arches and alleys of the historic center or head directly to Piazza Bruno Buozzi, where you will be greeted by a salmon-colored 19th-century building, the town hall.
At the corner of the square is the Church of San Giuliano. Its size and beautiful stone steps contrast with the gray 1920s facade. The church was built on a much older one which was the resting place of Governor Nello Pannocchieschi in 1321. The marble statue of the Madonna with Child inside dates back to approximately the same period, and was sculpted by Giovanni di Agostino; it is Gavorrano’s most precious asset, stolen in the 20th century and returned after a brief exhibition in a museum in Rome.
Finally, in via Terranova there is the “Davide Manni” Documentation Center (Sunday: 09:00-13:00; July-August: midweek afternoons
and Sunday morning ; 0566 846231; free), which has a remarkable collection of Etruscan artifacts from tombs in nearby Santa Teresa. The museum also tells the story of Pia Tolomei and her legendary murder.

The events of Gavorrano

Leap of the Countess

August

This medieval festival begins with the division of the city and ends with the murder. The locals are divided into two factions: Nello Pannocchieschi’s family in red and gold and Pia dei Tolomei’s family in silver and blue – these are the characters at the center of the festival, which showcases the best of traditional Maremma cuisine and the style of the medieval table, music and dances. In the end, everyone gathers to reenact the brutal death of Pia, who is dragged by two guards up to the highest tower in Gavorrano and thrown into the darkness.

Theater of the Rocks

July and August

An evening of concerts at sunset at the Teatro delle Rocce in Gavorrano, in the Marco Mineralistico.

How to get to Gavorrano

By car: If you arrive from the north (for example from Florence), you can take the A1 motorway to Firenze Impruneta, then take the Florence-Siena highway and continue to Grosseto. From Grosseto, take the SS322 state road in the direction of Gavorrano.

If you are arriving from the south (for example from Rome), you can take the A12 motorway to Civitavecchia, then the SS1 Aurelia highway to Grosseto. From Grosseto, take the SS322 state road in the direction of Gavorrano.