Maremma, land of brigands and Butteri (the local cow boys) stretches along the southern coast of Tuscany from Follonica to Capalbio and inland as far as Siena. Mistakenly overshadowed by Chianti, (luckily for us!) Maremma is an undiscovered treasure from it's coast and it's unspoiled hill ranges, to it's ancient fortified villages perched precariously on the hill tops and often built into the rock itself. Seat of the Etruscans, colonized by the Romans and later possessed by the Spaniards, Maremma boasts a rich plethora of diversity and a huge variety of culture..

You arrive at Pitigliano suddenly, round a hairpin bend, a sight completely unexpected after an uneventful drive through gentle hills. Seemingly growing out of the rock, the village of Pitigliano jumps out at you as one of the most spectacular views in Maremma.

Pitigliano and its surrounding area were first inhabited by the Etruscans, but the first existing written mention of Pitigliano dates only to 1061. In the early 13th century it belonged to the Aldobrandeschi family, and by the middle of the century it had become the capital of the surrounding county. In 1293 the county passed to the Orsini family which initiated 150 years of on and off wars with Siena but eventually a compromise of sorts was reached: Siena acknowledged the status of County to Pitigliano, and Pitigliano placed herself under the suzerainty of Siena.

For several hundred years Pitigliano was a frontier town between the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and, to the south, the Papal States . For this reason, the town was home to a flourishing and long-lived Jewish community, mostly made up by people fleeing from Rome during the counterreformation persecutions. Although there are almost no Jews left in town, the synagogue is still officiated from time to time. It was restored in 1995.

Underneath the town itself is a warren of passages and caves with huge stone silos built to keep grain and wine. It is truly worth the fairly long but pleasant drive.

From Pitigliano it's an absolute must to drive along the VIE CAVE to Sovana. These are roads cut deep into the tufo rock by the Etruscans between the 4th and 8th centuries B.C.

Sovana itself is a charming village, beautifully restored with a lovely Romanic Cathedral and Medieval Castle. Of Etruscan origins, Sovana became a Roman municipium and from the 5th century an Episcopal See. In the Middle Ages it was known as Soana .

A walk around the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Cosa above the fashionable resort of Ansedonia is an idyllic way to enjoy a morning. You could come across deer, see the hoopoes flitting among the hundred year old olive trees and wander through fields of asphodel. From there you can drive to Capalbio for lunch at one of the restaurants in the double circle of medieval walls. For the nature lovers we advise a tour of the Lake of Burano to see the local wildlife as well as the flamingos that winter there.

Montalcino is a charming little walled town beautifully positioned above vine and olive groves. It is famed for it's red wine, the remarkable Brunello di Montalcino. From Bacchus to sanctity we advise a drive to the peaceful solitude of the Abbey of Sant'Antimo, a breathtaking church founded by Charlemagne. The soaring nave and the translucent alabaster columns are a perfect setting for the Gregorian chants sung by the monks. You can come down to earth again by going to Castello Banfi for an excellent lunch accompanied by their delicious wines. The Castle also has a shop selling all their home grown products.