Castell’Azzara

Castell’Azzara is a splendid and animated town. It sits on the feet of the famous Tuscan mountains, in the southern territory.

Found in the province of Grosseto, it is seen as an absolutely enchanting and stunning location. 815 metres above sea level, Castell’Azzara overlooks landscapes and scenery of absolute splendor and great beauty.

The ancient village is situated in the northern part of the Area dell’Tufo (Tuff Area) and is one of the most fascinating and interesting locations the Maremma.

The name Castell’Azzara is said to be tied to a legend regarding the Aldobrandeschi brothers. The legend states that to choose who would govern the new city the three brothers decided to play a game of dice, in Latin “Zara”; thus giving birth to a wonderful city rich in art, history and culture; custodian to stunning and fascinating works of art and historic sites.

Not to miss:

Chiesa della Santissima Trinitá (Church of the Sacred Trinity): built for the Aldobrandeschi family, it houses wonderful works of art and very old paintings.

Church of St. Nicola: built during the Middle Ages, outside there is a stunning bell tower. Whilst inside is divided into three naves and custodian to some very interesting works of art.

Church of the Madonna del Rosario: its construction dates back to the 16th century and is decorated with splendid frescoes.

Church of St. Gregorio Magno: a beautiful religious structure which rises just outside the town, originally its function was as a place of prayer and the residence of the Sforza Counts.

Rocca Aldobrandesca (Aldobrandesca Fortress): a stunning building of Medieval origin, right next to a very impressive clock tower.

Villa Sforzesca: built at the end of the 16th century for the Sforzesca family.

History:

Like all of Maremma, the history of this Tuscan town is very interesting. The territory was, in fact, already inhabited in a very ancient age.

However the construction of the village itself only took place in the 12th century. Originally it was under the control of the Aldobrandeschi family, before becoming a dominion of the Orvieto Basques, who managed to maintain power for almost a century.

In the following centuries, Castell’Azzara once again fell under the possession of the Aldobrandeschi family, then the city of Santa Fiora, then the Sforza Counts. It finally became part of the new Kingdom of Italy, before being overtaken by the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.