Massa Marittima Hotels - Tuscany

Massa Marittima, Tuscany

Despite its name, Massa Marittima is not located on the coast, but rather some 20 kilometers inland amidst the hills of Northern Maremma. More than deserving of its recent inclusion in the list of "the most beautiful towns of Tuscany", Massa Marittima's central Piazza Garibaldi is home to any number of artistic masterpieces. This is where the edifices which served as sumptuous seats of local government were built: the 13th century Palazzo del Podestà; the 14th century Palazzo Comunale, the construction of which entailed the incorporation of three 13th century tower houses; the Palazzo dei Conti di Biserno; and Palazzo Bandini, this latter now home to Massa Marittima's Archaeological Museum.

Dominating the Piazza with its beautifully ornate composition of arches and loggias surmounted by pinnacles, the town's Cathedral of San Cerbone was constructed between the 12th and 13th centuries in Romanesque-Gothic style. Behind the high altar, in the choir of the cathedral, the Arca di San Cerbone never fails to draw the crowds. This marble shrine, sculpted by artists of the Siennese School, was made to house the relics of St Cerbonius, Patron Saint of Massa, whose life story is again recounted in a series of base reliefs adorning the architrave of the façade.

Situated in the vicinity of the area's silver and copper mines, in centuries past Massa Marittima was often referred to as Massa Mettalorum. Two museums have been created so as to document the town's ancient mining traditions: the Museum of Art and Mining History and the Mining Museum, this latter partly housed in a disused mine shaft. Those keen to learn more about mining in Maremma, should join one of the guided tours of the National Technological and Archaeological Park of the Colline Metallifere Grossetane.