Gavorrano

The town of Gavorrano is located amongst the splendid landscapes of the Alta Maremma, between wonderful forests of chestnuts, sweet hills and beautiful plains. Found in the province of Grosseto, it is seen as a fascinating ancient centre set in a panorama of extraordinary splendor, rich in olive trees and vines.

The territory of Gavorrano is one of the most interesting and important mining centres in the area, in fact the sector represents, for the local population, an important economic resource and had earned the city great fame.

According to local legend, however, Garvorrano is also home to the Castello of Cotone (Castle of Cotone) a location, described by Dante, as the place in which Sienese and aristocratic beauty Pia dei Tolomei, was murdered.

The town is an enchanting place of architectonic and historic beauty. In fact, simply by walking along its streets, you can have the opportunity to appreciate the charm of its churches, its palazzi and its historic buildings, an extraordinary testament to the very ancient past infused throughout the town.

Gavorrano is definitely the ideal location for lovers of art and culture, where you can admire religious structures and artistic elements of great importance and beauty.

Not to miss:

Oratorio del Santissimo Sacramento (Oratory of the Sacred Sacrament): splendid construction of the 15th century.

Church  of St. Giuliano: built during the Middle Ages and completely renovated in the 1700’s, it is home to some splendid works of art, including an alfresco depicting the “Madonna con il Bambino” (Madonna with the Baby)

Church of St. Biaggio: a stunning Renaissance building home to important works of art, including frescoes by artist Nasini and a 17th century stoup. Next to the church there is also a bell tower, of 18th century origins.

City Wall: a fortification which takes the shape of an ellipse and surrounds the ancient part of the city. Its construction dates back to the 1200’s and the 1300’s.

Palazzo Communale: renovated in the 19th century, it was originally built in 1676.

Just outside the city, surrounded by the countryside and the hills of the Maremma, is the Palazzo di Pietra, famous for being mentioned in Dante’s The Divine Comedy as a location of the imprisonment and the murder of Pia dei Tolomei, wife of Nello Pannocchieschi during the 14th century.

This ancient unsolved murder mystery is still sung today by folksingers all over the Maremma. The building itself is a very old, most likely built before the year 1000, and, of which today, there remains only the ruins of the surrounding wall, windows and rooms.

Natural Mining Park: a track which runs right into the middle of the beautiful natural environment, where you can discover the characteristic geography and the history of the mining practice in this area. Along with ancient instruments used by the miners, the park also has a natural amphitheatre, carved at the feet of the San Rocco cave. This theatre hosts interesting cultural events and shows almost all year round. Inside the museum you can find various objects, ruins, reproductions and documents relating to the mining industry and extraction in this territory.

History

Today we know that they city of Gavorrano dates back to some time during the year 1000 and was originally part of the diocese of Roselle. Following the beginning of the 13th century the town fell under the control of the Pannocchieschi family, the city of Volterra and Massa Marittima. Gavorrano was then dominated by Siena and Florence before finally becoming part of the Kingdom of Italy in the second half of the 1800’s.