Weekend in Maremma in Autumn: castles, art and Michelin-starred restaurants
Terre di Sacra, Capalbio 23 November 2023 Capalbio Restaurant, Cycle tourism in Maremma, Ecotourism in Tuscany, Excursions in Maremma, Family holiday in the country
Natural Oasis and fine restaurants
Where Terre di Sacra’s coastline meets Maremma’s inland, you will find endless cultural and artistic inspirations, as well as excellent food and wine discoveries. The perfect ingredients for a one-day or weekend trip in Maremma in Autumn.
In Maremma you can follow endless itineraries to enjoy art, history, culture and food and wine experiences. Starting from Capalbio and its famous Garden of Tarots, with its surreal sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle, rich of references, suggestions and inspirations.
Going north, towards Grosseto, you will enter Parco Naturale dell’Uccellina, the home of wild boars, fallow deers, roe deers, crested porcupines, badgers, foxes. The view you can enjoy from these hills embraces the Tyrrhenian Sea and the isles of Giglio, Elba and Corsica.
Further north, in the nearby area of Punta Ala, beaches are enchanting; if weather is good, you will be tempted by taking a swim at Cala Violina. The beach can be reached by foot with a short walk through the nearby woods.
An equally spectacular natural park, closer to Capalbio, is the Natural Oasis of Orbetello where you cannot miss a stop at restaurant L’Oste Dispensa, one of the very few places where you can taste delicious Orbetello’s bottarga.
Visiting Castiglione della Pescaia, Trattoria Enrico Bartolini is an irresistible temptation for Michelin-starred food lovers. Located inside the lovely Andana Resort – Tenuta La Badiola, the starred restaurant presents modern dishes alongside dishes traditionally prepared with spits and grills.
The Parco Naturale dell’Uccellina and Oasis of Orbetello are havens of peace, covered by Mediterranean maquis, facing crystal-clear sea waters and dominated by the beautiful Tower of Talamonaccio. Located on a cliff overlooking the sea, Tower of Talamonaccio has ancient roman origins and reflects following Saracen dominations in this territory. The tower has been the setting for the 007 movie “Quantum of Solace”.
Maremma’s organic meat by Terre di Sacra
Still in the Orbetello area, Locanda di Ansedonia is the place to taste exclusive food and wine delights. Locanda di Ansedonia was formerly an ancient post house, later converted into a traditional locanda for lunches, dinners and stays. Meat has been party of Luca and Nicola Terni’s life since forever and the grill is probably the most traditional cooking method of Maremma. This alone would be enough to explain why the restaurant Grigl’IO’ offers such a large selection of grilled meats. Namely, at the locanda you can taste Maremma’s organic meat produced at Terre di Sacra’s estate.
Locanda di Ansedonia’s peculiarity is also the sale of different top-quality food and drinks (liquors, jams, honey, sauces, oil, etc.).
Thermal waters and Michelin-starred restaurants in Maremma
Arriving at Porto Ercole, you must treat yourself at least once in a lifetime with the luxurious taste of Hotel Il Pellicano’s restaurant, often visited by Hollywood stars.
Moving towards Montemerano inland, Mulino di Saturnia’s waterfalls are certainly worth visiting. An experience that can engage you for a whole day.
A few kilometers away, an unforgettable food experience awaits you at Restaurant Da Caino at the medieval village of Montemerano. Valeria Piccini, one of the very few Michelin-starred women chefs in Italy, leads the kitchen and guarantees her guests an extraordinary taste experience.
Etruscan, Roman, medieval and Renaissance ruins
Maremma is a land that has had a leading role throughout all the different seasons in Italy’s history. It is rich in politically strategic places that have been the site of bloody and tough conflicts between cities, municipalities and republics. This mandatory leading role played by the region has enriched Maremma with historical remains of great beauty, value and importance.
The starting point to explore Etruscan civilization is the Archaeological Park of Baratti and Populonia, between Piombino and the Gulf of Baratti. All the Etruscan Coastline is a succession of finds and remains from the past.
From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and over the following centuries, every city has been enriched with monuments, palaces, castles, walls, churches, fortifications. The interiors of palaces, churches and buildings are adorned with statues, paintings, arches, marbles. Some of the most important and spectacular churches and cathedrals are in Grosseto, Orbetello, Sovana, Pitigliano, Arcidosso.
Forts, towers, castles, rocks and fortifications can be found and visited in virtually every city in Maremma, especially in Grosseto, Massa Marittima, Castiglione della Pescaia, Talamone, Orbetello, Capalbio, Montemerano, Porto Ercole, Porto Santo Stefano, Saturnia, Pitigliano, Sovana, Sorano, Punta Ala, etc.
Above all, the network that stands out is that of the Towers in the Parco Naturale Dell’Uccellina, Castle of Punta Ala, the Aragonese fortifications of Castiglione della Pescaia, the Spanish Rocks of the Argentario, the Rocca Aldobrandesca at Sovana and, of course, the Torre di Buranaccio at Terre di Sacra.
Modern Art in the open air in Maremma
Many contemporary artists have chosen the territory of Maremma as the ideal setting for their works, installations, exhibitions and galleries. Beside the already mentioned Niki de Saint Phalle’s Garden of Tarots in Capalbio, some of the most interesting installations of modern art are worth visiting during your weekend holiday.
- The Garden of Sounds – it is an art park within a 12-hectar private garden, created in 1966 by Paul Fuchs. The garden is located at Montieri, in the hamlet of Boccheggiano, and consists of a permanent exhibition of minimal sculptures made with iron, bronze, wood and stone materials.
- The Garden of Daniel Spoerri – opened in Seggiano in 1991, it has been conceived as an open-air 15-hectar museum park. It displays works of the author and of over 50 artists.
- The Garden of Piero Bonacina “Arte a Parte” – in Montegiovi, hamlet of Castel del Piano, an open-air garden displays all the sculptures by the artist. The works are made of iron, concrete, wood, Manciano sandstone, Saturnia travertine and are representative of the contemporary art from the territory.
- Fontanile – This summer Hypermaremma presented Fontanile, in collaboration with Terre di Sacra: the unprecedented site-specific work by Giuseppe Ducrot, at the Macchiatonda road in Capalbio.
Experience the beauty of Maremma in Autumn just as you feel like: by car, trekking, mountain biking, climbing, visiting historical sites or art exhibitions, or comfortably sitting in a Michelin-starred restaurant.
