The Train That Gave Birth to Terre di Sacra
Terre di Sacra, Capalbio 23 September 2026 Terre di Sacra history
The Train That Gave Birth to Terre di Sacra
There is one element of the landscape at Terre di Sacra that, more than any other, tells its story: the train.
The Tyrrhenian railway runs alongside the Estate, between the land and the sea, following this narrow stretch of Maremma on the Tuscan coast. It is an active line, used every day by trains running between Rome and Pisa through Capalbio, and during the day you may hear them pass.
For Terre di Sacra, though, the train is much more than a presence in the landscape.
It is where everything began.
It All Began with a Train: Capalbio in the 1920s
In the early 1920s, Marchese Uberto Resta Pallavicino was travelling by train when a mechanical failure forced the train to stop in Capalbio.
What seemed like a simple inconvenience changed the course of history.
The Marchese stepped off the train and found himself facing a land that was still wild, difficult and largely marshland. A place that seemed far removed from any idea of development, and in which he, together with a group of others, saw a possibility.
S.A.C.R.A.: A Promise to Redeem the Land
In 1922 they founded S.A.C.R.A., Società Anonima Capalbio Redenta Agricola, with an ambition that says a great deal about the spirit of the project: “to redeem the land”.
The reclamation of the marshes began. Then came agriculture, livestock farming and the care of woodland, lakes and fields. Little by little, this challenging land changed its face.
The story of Terre di Sacra therefore began right there, beside the railway: with a train that was only meant to set off again and instead, almost by chance, brought a group of people together with the land that would become their home.
A Line Between Land and Sea: the Railway on the Estate
Even today, the railway runs along the entire edge of Terre di Sacra.
Terre di Sacra lies on one side of the tracks only, between the railway and the sea: here stretch the Lago di Burano WWF reserve, cultivated fields, Maremmana cattle at pasture and, finally, the coast. The Estate is reached through two underpasses, which is also why there are so few cars here.
Over time, the railway has become both a boundary and a form of protection. It keeps the Estate apart from its surroundings and helps preserve the feeling of open space, countryside and nature you notice as soon as you arrive.
So although Rome and the towns of the coast are relatively close, arriving at Terre di Sacra feels like entering a secluded world.
The Sound of the Train, Part of the Landscape
Yes, you can hear the train. It may pass several times during the day, and for first-time guests the sound can come as a surprise: we tend to imagine the countryside as a place of complete silence.
The silence of Terre di Sacra is made of the wind in the trees, birdsong, the sounds of the countryside, the sea and, every now and then, a passing train.
Something curious often happens: after the first few days the sound becomes familiar, and many guests stop noticing it. Perhaps because, once you know the story of this place, the train begins to sound different.
What may seem like a limitation today has, over time, helped protect what makes this place so special.
Welcoming the Train as We Welcome a Story
When we arrive somewhere new, we often hope to find it exactly as we imagined. Some places ask to be discovered for what they are, and Terre di Sacra is one of them.
The train is as much a part of its identity as the sea, the countryside, the butteri, the Maremmana cattle, the wind, Lake Burano and the nature that has been protected here for more than a century.
Without that train stopping in Capalbio, Terre di Sacra might never have existed.
So when you hear it passing, you might think of this:
a train that stopped more than a century ago, and everything that began with that unexpected stop.
What does S.A.C.R.A. stand for?
Società Anonima Capalbio Redenta Agricola: the company founded in 1922 to “redeem the land” by draining the marshes and developing farming and livestock. Today it is called Società Azionaria Capalbio Redenta Agricola S.p.A.
Who founded Terre di Sacra?
The company was founded by Marchese Resta Pallavicino together with 20 other families, including the Pirelli family, after his train broke down at Capalbio in the early 1920s.
Is the railway close to the villas and tents?
The Tyrrhenian railway runs along the entire edge of the property, which lies between the tracks and the sea and is reached through two underpasses. The tracks are closer to the Villas & Cottages; the Resort & Glamping is about 800 metres away.
What is the nearest train station?
Capalbio station, on the Tyrrhenian line between Rome and Pisa. The Resort & Glamping is about 9 km away, a 15-minute drive. The Villas & Cottages are spread across more than 1,000 hectares: depending on their location on the Estate, they are between 100 m and 7.8 km from the station.
Full directions on our Getting here page.
