Maremma is the heart of ancient Etruria, the Etruscan kingdom that stretched between the rivers Arno and Tiber and reached the apex of its splendour between the 7th and the 4th centuries BC. A holiday in Maremma could become a real travel into history!

The Etruscans have been a significant presence in the area; that is why the province of Grosseto defines Maremma a real big "Etruscan Park", to which it has dedicated a website where you can find any information you need on the Etruscans in Maremma, from their cuisine to their religion, from their language to itineraries for visiting the various archaeological sites and so on (www.parcodeglietruschi.it). A really interesting website where you can find plenty of information!

The origins of the Etruscans are lost in time. The main hypotheses are that they were "indigenous", or that they stemmed either from North or from Asia Minor. The one sure thing is that the Etruscan civilization developed and thrived in Maremma .

Their economy was not based on agriculture, but rather on mining (they exploited the mines of the Isle of Elba, Mount Amiata and Lake Accesa) and maritime trade. The Etruscans built a strategic network of villages and towns that connected the mines to the sea, in order to promote commerce. Vetulonia and Roselle were founded in the 7th century BC by Lake Prile, which once stretched at the mouth of River Ombrone and nowadays no longer exists. Other "town states" followed, including Populonia, Poggio Buco, Pitigliano and Sovana (in the valley of the River Fiora), Talamone, Orbetello, Ghiaccioforte and Doganella (Kalusion), all of them connected by an efficient road network.

The Etruscans were skilled craftsmen who excelled in bronze and gold works as well as in painting. They also enjoyed life, as demonstrated by the many paintings in which they are shown dancing, banqueting and fighting or racing. Particularly important was the cult of the ancestors, for whom they realized richly-decorated exquisite tombs.

The many settlements, necropolis and "siderurgical plants" that have been found in Maremma give testimony to the Etruscan presence in the region.

If you are curious people and history lovers, Maremma can prove to be your ideal holiday destination: a place where cultural enrichment combines with relaxation in nature.