Transport in the city. Some great places in the province of Grosseto

Grosseto is an Italian city located in the Tuscany region, south of Siena, just fourteen kilometers from the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. This city is not only the administrative center of the province of the same name, but is also considered the main city in the Maremma region. In ancient times, the area around Grosseto was occupied by numerous lakes and malarial swamps, but after many years the plain was drained. As a reminder of that time, several mineral springs have survived to this day, not far from which local resort Terme Saturnia.

Before the arrival of the Romans, the Etruscan tribes lived in these lands, whose settlement, which was called Ruselli, was only five kilometers from the modern city. The coat of arms of the city since the reign of the Ghibellines depicts a griffin, symbolizing the origin of the townspeople from the Etruscans. The city was first mentioned at the beginning of the ninth century, when the Aldobrandeschi family took possession of the Church of San Giorgio. It is with this family that the further development of the city is connected.

Grosseto Photos

In the first half of the twelfth century, the city was attacked by the Bavarian duke of the Salic dynasty, but the townspeople withstood the grueling siege of the city with dignity. At about the same time, a bishop moved to the city from Rousell. From the middle of the same century, Grosseto concludes a trade agreement on the supply of salt with Siena, and a little later he swears allegiance to Siena.

After the Medici dynasty was in power, the city was resubordinated to Florence. At the same time, a citadel was built over the city, and Grosseto itself was fortified with high fortress walls. With the coming to power of the Habsburgs, a project was implemented to drain the swamps surrounding Grosseto, because of which real malaria epidemics broke out in the region almost every year. One of this dynasty of rulers, Leopoldo II, was even immortalized in the form of a beautiful monument in the central square of the city.

Grosseto owes much of its current appearance to Mussolini. It was on his orders that in the thirties of the last century the improvement of the Maremma was begun in order to increase the number of tourists. During the reign of the Medici dynasty, the old part of the city was surrounded by a strong hexagonal wall. From historical monuments The city is also worth noting the Romanesque Cathedral of St. Lawrence and several medieval churches. It is famous for its exhibits, most of which were mined at the excavations of Roussel, a huge archaeological museum of the city.

The majestic cathedral, the second name of which is the Duomo, was erected in the thirteenth century according to the project famous architect Sozzo di Rusticino. In the nineteenth century, the facade of the cathedral was re-decorated with bas-reliefs and openwork galleries, giving it a graceful elegance. Inside, the Duomo is decorated with an altarpiece by the great Antonio Ghini and the famous "Assumption" by Matteo di Giovanni.

For lovers of historical values ​​and works of art in without fail a visit to the local archaeological museum is a must. In its exhibition halls, you can admire the masterpieces of medieval artists, as well as see a lot of archaeological finds from the Paleolithic to the late Middle Ages. We also advise you to visit the church of San Francesco, sustained in gothic style.

(Lazio) and including hilly area Metallifere, bays framed by pine trees and beaches famous in Europe on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Mar tirreno).

There are several specially protected natural areas here:

• National Park Maremma (Maremma), located north of the resort of Talamone (Talamone);
• Biancane (Biancane);
• Lagoon Orbetello (Orbetello), etc.

The province is popular among vacationers for its famous resort centers:

• The town of Punta Talamone attracting tourists picturesque ruins an ancient fortress, a variety of flora and fauna;
• Sea resort town of Castiglione della Pescaia(Castiglione della Pescaia), uniting quarters of the old city with powerful fortress walls on a rock and busy port quarters;
• Pitigliano (Pitigliano), a town in the mountains, surrounded by mountain gorges with rivers running in them and preserved temple buildings representing style features baroque of the XIV-XVI centuries, etc.

Grosseto will bring a lot of pleasure to lovers of gourmet tours and local natural wines. Fans of diving, scuba diving, sea travel, cycling trips and horseback riding come here.

The province is rich in historical and cultural monuments, telling about the times of antiquity and the Middle Ages:

• Acropolis of the Etruscan tribes;
• Excavations on the sites of ancient Roman settlements;
• Preserving the ancient customs of the village, etc.

The city of Grosseto is the undisputed historical and cultural center of the province.

The architectural appearance of Grosseto reflected the history of Italy with its brightest pages. The prehistoric culture of highly developed peoples, such as the Etruscans, is presented in the local Archaeological Museum. Majestic fortress walls tell about the Medici era. The features of the Renaissance culture can be studied in the cathedrals and palaces of the city.

In the central part of Grosseto, fortified walls have been preserved, which were erected in 1574 by Francesco I (Francesco I) in the shape of a hexagon. The fortifications were rebuilt in 1593 under Ferdinand I (Ferdinando I) on the model of the famous fortress in Lucca.

On the main Piazza Dante is located the ancient Cathedral of San Lorenzo (La Cattedrale Di San Lorenzo), built in 1294-1302. The cathedral is of great cultural and historical value, as it was built on the site of more ancient building and during its life it changed its appearance several times (in 1611 the bell tower was rebuilt, in 1840-1845 the appearance of the facade changed and restoration work was carried out in the interior).

Therefore, the cathedral is an interesting combined portrait of several architectural eras.

The cathedral houses the priceless work "Assumption" by the master of the second half of the 15th century Matteo from Siena (Matteo da Siena).

The Piazza Baccarini is home to the Museum of Archeology and Art. Here is a rich exposition of works of Etruscan and ancient Roman art.

The small church of San Francesco (Chiesa Di San Francesco), located on Independence Square (piazza Indipendenza), founded in the XIII century, was built by the order of the monks of St. Benedict (San Benedetto), later its owners were the monks of the Order of St. Francis (San Francesco). The church is known for its surviving fragments of frescoes from the 14th century.

Kitchen

How to get there

Grosseto is easily accessible by train or bus.

Detailed information about train schedules, routes and ticket prices can be found on the website.

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Known for mass tourist destinations and its magnificent nature, province of Grosseto covers the southern extremity , stretching from the hilly slopes of Metallifere to the border with , through breathtaking landscapes . Coast Grosseto presents landscapes of no less rare beauty - it is dominated by pine forests and crystal clear waters, and famous seaside resorts such as Marina di Grosseto, Principina Mare, Castiglione, Punta Talamone and Punta Ala are simply innumerable.

Landscapes of exceptional beauty, colorful flora and fauna, surreal atmospheres natural parks provinces (Biancane, Orbetello lagoon and ) enchant all visitors, regional products and excellent local wines made from organic products grown in the region attract gourmets from all over the world, archaeological treasures (old villages, Roman settlements and the Etruscan acropolis in the South East of Grosseto) attract history buffs, and admirers of the artistic heritage are amazed by the charming echoes of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Province of Grosseto. Photo flickr.com

What to do in the province of Grosseto?

The variety of environments provides plenty of entertainment for holidays in close contact with nature. Sea lovers can choose between cliffs, coves and sandy beaches, enjoy the exciting water sports sports and boating. The beautiful and colorful panoramas of Cape Argentario are ideal for snorkeling.

Protected natural areas offer numerous trails for hiking, cycling or riding a horse against the backdrop of hills and green valleys. And, of course, you will be able to attend many traditional festivals and events, including the costume procession in Massa Marittima, the Palio Marinaro Argentario, the historic parade in Porto Santo Stefano and much more.

Maremma National Park. Dawn. Photo flickr.com

As for the center of the province, the city of Grosseto, then we will stop here to briefly talk about its most important attractions.

Attractions of the city of Grosseto

Historic city center

The historic center of Grosseto is surrounded by irregular hexagonal ramparts, with six bastions built by Grand Duke Francesco I in 1574 and modified by Ferdinand I in 1593. The ramparts of Grosseto are reminiscent of the bastions located in the city of Lucca, and, accordingly, Grosseto is even sometimes called "small".

Palazzo Aldobrandeschi. Dante Square. Grosseto. Photo flickr.com

Fortified walls of Grosseto. Photo flickr.com

Cathedral of San Lorenzo

In the main square of the old town of Grosseto, called Piazza Dante, on north side the main city cathedral (Cathedral of San Lorenzo) is located. It was built between 1294 and 1302 on the foundations of an earlier church and rebuilt and altered several times in the following centuries (the bell tower, originally dated 1402, was rebuilt in 1611; the façade was rebuilt in 1840-45). The interior of the temple was restored in the 19th century. In the left transept is the famous work of Matteo di Giovanni (known as Matteo of Siena, 1433-95) The Assumption.

Dante Square. Grosseto. Photo flickr.com

Museum of Archeology and Art of Grosseto

Not far from the cathedral in Grosseto, in Piazza Baccarini, is National Museum archeology and art museum of the Maremma (Museum of Archeology and Art), where you can see a collection of prehistoric, as well as Etruscan and Roman treasures of civilization.

Address: Piazza Baccarini 3, Grosseto

Cathedral of San Lorenzo. Grosseto. Photo flickr.com

Church of San Francesco

The Church of San Francesco, a small church located near the museum in Grosseto's Independence Square, was built by the Benedictine order in the 13th century. Later, the temple passed into the hands of the Franciscans. The temple is interesting because it contains many remains of magnificent frescoes of the 14th century.

Piazza La Vasca. Grosseto. Photo flickr.com

Flea market located in the Place de Maria

The colorful market, where you can buy a lot of interesting things, is held on weekdays leading up to the holiday or on festive Thursdays.

Some great places in the province of Grosseto

Talamone

Small fishing village and the seaside resort, Talamone, is charming with its scenery and is located near the ruins of an ancient castle.

To the north of Talamone is a nature reserve that demonstrates the splendor and diversity of landscape forms, flora and fauna, as well as keeping many traditions.

Talamone, province of Grosseto. Photo flickr.com

Pitigliano

The small town of Pitigliano is located in the far south. During the Middle Ages, it belonged to the Orsini, an influential family that granted it the status of a municipality. The town later passed to the Florentine Strozzi family and in 1604 it was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

Pitigliano, perched on a cliff between the gorges of the Meleta, Leuta and Procchio rivers, is in an extremely picturesque place. In addition, the town has preserved many historical monuments, including estates, temples and baroque cathedrals built in the 14th-16th centuries.

Pitigliano, province of Grosseto. Photo flickr.com

Castiglione della Pescaia

The popular seaside resort of Castiglione della Pescaia lies on the Tyrrhenian coast at the foot of Poggio Petricchio, west of Grosseto.

The medieval part of the city, also known as Castiglione Castello, occupies the top of a hill located above the sea, enclosed within the outline of walls and massive towers. The Castle of Castiglione dominates the city and its picturesque little harbor, where colorful boats are moored. fishing boats And beautiful yachts. Outside the city is a beautiful pine forest.

Castiglione della Pescaia, province of Grosseto. Photo flickr.com

Holidays in the province of Grosseto

In the province of Grosseto, the whole year is filled with various events related to folklore, religious traditions, gastronomy or culture. Here are the most famous of them:

The traditional evening procession by torchlight, dedicated to San Giuseppe, ends with an impressive "Rite of Fire". Visitors gather in central square cities around a huge fire "invernacciu", in which the doll (winter) is burned and the new season is welcomed with the wish that it bring prosperity and prosperity to everyone.

Feast of Torciata di San Giuseppe. Photo flickr.com

Il Balestro del Girifalco- Massa Marittima, twice a year: around May 20th and on the second Sunday of August.

This medieval spectacle features 8 crossbowmen from each of the city's three districts: the archer who hits closest to the center of the target wins a golden arrow and the winning district receives a silk flag. Every year, the town square fills with thousands of residents and tourists who come to watch the historical procession of over 150 people in medieval costumes that starts the competition.

Feast of "Il Balestro del Girifalco". Photo flickr.com

Capalbio Cinema- International Short Film Festival - Capalbio, beginning of July.

This is one of the most important events in the short film industry worldwide. The festival specializes in short films (maximum length 15 minutes). An international jury of directors, actors, producers and critics awards for best film, best director, best cinematography, and more.

Tuscany Photofestival- Massa Marittima, in July and August.

Photographic event consisting of exhibitions of the best masters, meetings-discussions on topics related to photography, and seminars.

The main event for the cowboys of the Maremma. They meet in Alberez every August 15th to test themselves in a unique tournament. Divided into two teams - Yellow Rose and Red Rose - cowboys compete with each other in riding skills.

This is a city regatta in which the city is represented by four quarters. The origins of the competition are very ancient: legend has it that it represents the boats of local fishermen competing in rowing ability.

Feast of the Palio Marinaro. Photo by photogirello.it

There are numerous festivals and celebrations dedicated to typical regional products: the gastronomic festival "Gustatus" in Orbetello (the last weekend of October), the festival of the wild rabbit on the island of Giglio (September), the festival of the wild boar in Vittoria (September).

What to try in Grosseto or the typical cuisine of the province

Grosseto's cuisine is based on products from the land and ancient traditions.

Typical dishes include fettuccine with various side dishes, mushroom soup, broth, soup with fried onions, celery and tomatoes.

By plane:

Fiumicino of Rome and Galileo Galilei of Pisa are the nearest airports to Grosseto, both serving national and international flights. From Rome-Fiumicino airport, the Leonardo train will take you to the central railway station

One of the few cities completely surrounded by a wall.
Grosseto is located 12 km from the sea, on a plain called the Maremma.
The city was founded by the Etruscans in the 7th century. BC. under the name Roselle. Then he came under the rule of the Romans.
Mine modern look Grosseto acquired in the Middle Ages. In 1151, he took the side of Siena in the fight against Florence, a little later Grosseto becomes a customs point through which the salt passed.
In the XIII century. Grosseto is a free commune. The city lost and regained its freedom several times until it became part of the Republic of Siena in 1336.
After the fall of Siena, Grosseto became part of the Duchy of Tuscany.
In 1860 Grosseto became part of the united Italy.
During World War II, the city was bombed.
The economic boom that occurred in Italy in the 1960s and 70s also affected Grosseto. Many were busy working at the military airfield, which is located near Grosseto.
Now Grosseto is an attractive city for tourism, in which the historical center has been preserved, surrounded by a medieval wall with numerous ancient monuments, the proximity of the coast (Marina Grosseto) will allow to combine sea ​​vacation with city tours and shopping.

Let's start our tour of the historic center of Grosseto With Piazza Dante is the main square of the city. It has a trapezoidal shape and is the heart of city life. In the center of the square stands a statue of Duke Leopold II of Tuscany, who did a lot for the development of Grosseto. All the important buildings of the city are concentrated on the square.

Dante Square. Grosseto.

imposing Cathedral dedicated to Saint Lorenzo, the patron saint of Grosseto. The first cathedral on this site was founded in 1138. A new building in the Gothic style was erected in 1294 according to the project of the architect and sculptor from Siena, Sozzo Rusticini.
To the right of the cathedral rises a Roman column.

Cathedral. Grosseto.

The red brick palace decorated with swallowtails is Palazzo Aldobrandeschi, seat of the government of the province of Grosseto. The palace was built in the Middle Ages, but later it was completely rebuilt. The building that we see today is made in the neo-Gothic style.
On the other side of the cathedral is city ​​palace, or city hall, erected in 1867
From Duomo Square starts Corso Carducci Avenue- the main transport and trade artery Grosseto. The avenue ends at the New Gates.

Corso Carducci. Grosseto.

Before reaching the gate, immediately after the crossroads in the form of a star, we will pay attention to St. Peter's Church is the oldest church in Grosseto.

Church of St. Peter.

Let's turn to the street via Ginori, which is located before the church of St. Peter. From here you can see the facade of the church of St. Bigi, opposite which is located Church of Saint Francis, to which we are heading.

Church of Saint Francis. Grosseto.

It belongs to the Middle Ages. Once the church belonged to a Benedictine monastery, and then passed to the Franciscans. The monastery complex was restored and changed in different centuries. The bell tower was erected in the 20th century.
Works of art are stored inside different centuries. In the center of the courtyard there is a buffalo well, dug in 1590. Once a buffalo, running away from a butcher, turned into the monastery courtyard, but fell into a large hole and died there. The well built on this site was named after the countless buffalo.

Let's go out on via Garibaldi and turn to city ​​wall. The wall was erected in the 12th century, later it was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, the real wall (most of it) dates back to 1574-93.
The wall surrounds the city along the perimeter, the corners are reinforced with bastions.

Let's walk along the wall or up the wall to Salt Square ( Piazza del sale). Here is an important Historical building Grosseto - Salt complex The building was built in the 14th century. to control and export salt, which was brought here from salt works on the coast.

Salt complex. Grosseto.

Salt from Grosseto was of high quality and was known throughout Tuscany. Later, a customs office was also located here to control all activities related to salt.
Square ends old gate- the ancient entrance to the city, to which the Aurelius road led.

Ricasoli street (strada Ricasoli) leads from Salt Square to the center.
This pedestrian street is typical of the old Grosseta, it leads us to where our route to Duomo Square began.

Why go

A small Tuscan town, enclosed in a ring of fortifications by the restless Medici, who recaptured Grosseto from Siena. Since then, Grosseto has been reminiscent of both Florence and Siena combined: Palazzo Publico clearly has Sienese roots, the cathedral is also of the Sienese school, but the streets are somehow subtly Florentine. The walls and the citadel are most similar to Lucca.

How to get there

By train from Rome. It is almost impossible to get here from Tuscany (Florence) by public transport, which is why we planned a trip here from Lazio.
Please check the travel time, fare and departure time at
http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html
About the railways of Italy and travel cards for Lazio

We did not find a travel agency in the city, but stands are generously scattered along the streets, where all objects are shown and named. To the city center from the station - to the right to the city gates (the spectacular post office is located there), and there the cathedral and Palazzo Publico are within easy reach if you go straight ahead.

Story

Once upon a time, flat lakes and swamps stretched around the town, then almost all of them dried up, the sea receded, and only mineral springs have survived to this day, near which it is now located resort Terme Saturnia. It is not known for sure whether the primitive inhabitants of the future Grosseto knew what a spa was, but they lived here well, warmly and freely. Then the Etruscans lived here, who founded the town of Roselle, who were replaced by the Romans.

The first mention of the city dates back to 803, when the possessions of the church of San Giorgio passed to the Aldobrandeschi family. It is to this family that the city owes its development - they played the role of the Medici in Florence in Grosseto. Between 1137 and 1138 the inhabitants of the city withstood the brutal siege of Duke Arrigo di Bavier, at the same time the bishop moved here, and in 1151 Grosseto took an oath of allegiance to Siena, signing an agreement on the salt trade with her. In 1204, the city signed the Carta delle Libertà - this document regulated relations between citizens and between the citizen and the rulers of the city from the Aldobrandeschi family. The coat of arms of the city since the time of the Ghibellines is the image of a griffin, which symbolizes the origin of the city and citizens from the Etruscans.

The Republic of Siena, torn apart by internal strife between the nobility and popular parties, nevertheless, was a serious competitor to Florence, and even was Gibbelin, as opposed to the Guelph Florence! The Florentines could not endure this, and the thirty thousandth army of Florentines and mercenaries appeared in the lands of Siena demanding to destroy the city walls and surrender to the mercy of the besiegers.

“The Battle of Monteaperti became the starting date for the history of the city. From her begins the era of Siena's political maturity, her success in crafts, her artistic flourishing. The memory of her is still close: the banner preserved in the Opera del Duomo, under which Siena once walked on the battlefield, still remains a living witness to her feat. P. Muratov "Images of Italy"

The army of Florence was utterly defeated. 15,000 besiegers were captured, 10,000 were killed, 5,000 fled during the battle. The merchant Usilia Trekkola entered the Sienese chronicles and the history of Tuscany by personally capturing 36 people with one rope, and after the battle, the Florentine banner and badges of the regiments were tied to the tail of her donkey, and he dragged it all through the streets of Siena. Almost 800 years have passed, but until now, when two former enemy cities converge in some kind of sports duel (for example, during a football match between Fiorentina and Siena), the Sienese shout to the Florentines: “Remember Monteaperti!”

Both the troops of Barbarossa and the Spanish troops marching on Rome trampled along Grosseto, and only when the Medici rose in Florence did the town come under the wing of Florence. At the same time, strong fortress walls grew here and a citadel was built. When the Duchy of Tuscany passed to the Habsburgs after the Congress of Vienna, they continued to take care of the city - for example, they developed a plan to drain the local swamps, which caused malaria epidemics every year. One of the Habsburgs, the Grand Duke Leopoldo II, was erected a monument in the central square of Grosseto.

City

The first thing you will see in Grosseto on the way to the old town is Piazza della Vasca, which faces the facades of the government palace (Palazzo del Governo), the spectacular Palace of Posts and Telegraphs (Palazzo delle Poste e Telegrafi), as well as Palazzo Cosimini.

Once you've reached the city gates and inside the ring of walls, it becomes much easier to navigate: Corso Carducci will lead you to Piazza Dante, the central square where the Palazzo Publico and the cathedral stand. Via Aurelio Saffi, running along the city walls along the entire perimeter of Grosseto, will lead you to the citadel (if you go along it to the left), or to six bastions (in one of which stray dogs live, quite harmless), if you go along it to the right. You can go around the city along the wall, admiring the center and surroundings, or you can go down and go through Grosseto, admiring the palazzo and several interesting churches, and only then climb the walls, hiding from the heat in the shade of trees planted along the entire promenade, broken over the walls . Several times we came across stone sarcophagi, even whole "baths" - perhaps this is all that remains of the local Roman temples?

About halfway from the Porta Nuova, through which we entered the city, to Piazza Dante, if you do not deviate from Corso Carducci, is Piazza Socci ( Piazza Socci). In the center of the square is a bronze monument to Ettore Socci, one of the authors of the project to drain the surrounding swamps. Facades of three palaces overlook the square: Palazzo Tognetti, Palazzo Berti and Palazzo Moschini, which now houses the State Archives.

St. Peter's Church ( Chiesa di San Pietro) is the oldest religious building in Grosseto (X-XI century), and it stands on the very old street the city - the former Roman Via Aurelia, connecting Piazza Dante and Porta Nuova. At that time, there were four churches in the town, clearly located on the cardinal points: San Pietro was in the north, San Giorgio was in the south, Santa Lucia was in the east, San Michele was in the west. Michelle). Over the course of many centuries, the church has experienced many rebuildings and cataclysms; it acquired its present appearance during the 18th century. On both sides of the side of the church, the palazzo is supported, so the church can easily be run through, except for the brick bell tower of the 17th century. with an onion dome will attract attention. The Romanesque façade peeps through the gray stucco, in the lower part of it you can see the old masonry, and the window above the entrance is Romanesque. At the bottom of the façade, there are several small Byzantine bas-reliefs depicting plants and animals, and one depicts a human figure.

Piazza Baccarini hides away from Corso Carducci. The building of the old tribunal (Palazzo del Vecchio Tribunale, where there is now an archaeological museum), built in the 19th century, looks at it. on the site of a medieval palazzo, and the facade of the church Chiesa dei Bigi. IN northeast direction Piazza Baccarini blends into Piazza San Francesco with the church of the same name.

Chiesa dei Bigi with a bell tower growing directly from the roof, was built simultaneously with the adjacent monastery (Convento delle Clarisse) at the end of the 16th century on the site of earlier monastery buildings, which were simply dismantled for building materials. The Clariscans lived here until the end of the 18th century, then the church and the monastery building gradually fell into disrepair and are now used as university premises (in 2005, restoration work was carried out in the church, its baroque decoration was restored and there are plans to use it for its intended purpose).

Church of San Francesco

The Benedictine church, originally built in the 13th century and dedicated to St. Fortunato, was handed over to the Franciscans along with the adjacent monastery in the next century, as a result of which it was re-consecrated in honor of the patron saint of Italy, Francis of Assisi. Over the centuries of its existence, the complex has undergone many reconstructions. The facade of the church is very simple, without any decorations, it is slightly enlivened by a lunette with a fresco, protected from the weather by a special visor. Inside, too, very simple decoration, more reminiscent of some village church far from civilization.

The crucifix was made by Duccio di Boninsegna at the end of the 13th century. On the right side - the chapel of St. Anthony (XVII century) with frescoes by masters Antonio and Francesco Nazini. Adriano Celentano and Claudia Mori were married here. The bell tower of the church was destroyed by lightning in the Middle Ages and rebuilt in the 20th century.

If the door of the sacristy is opened, one can look into the inner courtyard, bordered by a portico with columns. In the center of the courtyard there is a fountain fed by waters that are collected in a special cistern in the fountain (Pozzo della Bufala). The second cistern is located under the square in front of the entrance to the church. It is still functioning and supplying drinking water a small fontanelle (the water well even has a proper name - Pozzo dello Spedale).

From here you can continue your walk around the city along the semicircular street Strada Ginori - walk to Palm Square ( Piazza della Palma), from where the citadel is within easy reach. On Palma Square we are met by the Church of Mercy (Chiesa della Misericordia). Along the way, don't miss Palazzo Ginori, a medieval building with traces of later Renaissance rebuilding. The Church of Mercy originated in the 12th century as a small chapel, and for a long time belonged to various monasteries and institutions of the city. In the first half of the 19th century, it was rebuilt, however, with the removal of the most valuable of the decorations in Archaeological Museum.

A small square of the martyrs of Istia ( Piazza dei Martiri d "Istia) is located right in front of the Church of Mercy. It is not named in honor of the first Christian martyrs, as one might think, but in memory of eleven guys from the nearby town of Istia d'Ombrone, who died at the hands of the Nazis during World War II.

Piazza Dante and Duomo San Lorenzo

Since the Middle Ages and during the reign of the Medici, this square in the shape of a trapezoid has been the center of public life in Grosseto. In the center of the square rises the Monumento a Canapone, a monument to Leopold II (1846), right on the very spot where under the Romans there was a huge underground reservoir with water, or simply speaking, the Cistern (those who were in Istanbul understand what it is about). On the northern part of the square are the Duomo, Palazzo Aldobrandeschi and Palazzo Comunale buildings. WITH south side area, all houses have a common covered arched gallery.

Leopold is depicted in a Roman toga, the composition includes a griffin (the city coat of arms) biting a dead snake (malaria that raged in the city before the melioration), a child right hand the duke symbolizes the future of the city, and the woman (the swamps around the city) symbolizes its sad past.

Palazzo Comunale on the north side of Piazza Dante was built in the Neo-Renaissance style in 1867. For those who like to say that only here everything is demolished and broken, I inform you that this building was built on the site of the ancient church of San Giovanni (San Giovanni Decollato).

Cathedral of San Lorenzo was built on the site ancient church Santa Maria Assunta (Santa Maria Assunta, 1138) and looks like a magic box.

Construction began in 1294 under the guidance of the master Sozzo Rustichini from Siena. As usual, the construction was delayed, and what happened in the end by 1302 was very different from the original idea. In the future, the cathedral was rebuilt several times (including in the Baroque style), the last major rebuilding was carried out between 1840 and 1865. A stunning striped facade, reminiscent of Siena there, - alas, was added in the 19th century. True, the figures of the evangelists on the facade are ancient - made at about the same time as the laying of the cathedral, they have been waiting in the wings for a long time ...

On the right wall of the cathedral there is a carved portal (they still argue who was the author - the Florentine Giuseppe Castelucci or the Sienese Giuseppe Partini), no less elegant than the central one, a pair of Gothic windows, a statue of St. Lorenzo in a niche between the windows, as well as sundial.

The sculptures for the portal and windows were made by Agostino di Giovanni and his son Giovanni d "Agostino between 1320 and 1340. On the right corner of the facade of the cathedral there is a real Roman column, which in the Middle Ages was used as a pedestal for posters The bell tower was added to the cathedral in 1402, and only in 1611 a staircase was made inside it - the poor ringers probably crawled back and forth along the rope.

The interior of the cathedral underwent changes no less significant than the facade: first it was redesigned by the Sienese Anton-Maria Lari (1540), then it turned into a baroque decoration, and only in 1865 did it become what it looks like now. Notice the painting by Carlo Borromeo in the apse; altarpiece (1649-1692); a canvas by Matteo di Giovanni (1470) in the chapel of the Madonna delle Grazie; crucifixion of the second half of the 15th century in the chapel del Crocifisso. Finally, I remember the lunette by Giovanni Agostino depicting Christ (above the central portal). The stained-glass windows are old (1470), made by Gerolamo Vantaggioli, and the baptismal font is the work of Antonio Ghini (his work is the Madonna delle Grazie altarpiece).

Former medieval palace Aldobrandeschi family - Palazzo Aldobrandeschi (Palazzo della Provincia)- is now the building of the provincial government. It is noteworthy that in the early Middle Ages there was a rock on the site of Piazza Dante, on top of which stood Rocca Aldobrandesca - neither more nor less - a castle. The history of Grosseto is bashfully silent about where the hill has gone – either the cultural layer has grown so much, or the rock was dug on the orders of the Medici (as the battle towers were destroyed throughout Tuscany), but the Aldobrandeschi palace rose again in a new place. From the 16th-17th centuries, when the city fell into disrepair, the palace was slowly but surely destroyed until it completely collapsed. Only in 1898, 500 prominent citizens turned to the provincial government with a request to allocate funds for restoration - and construction began to boil under the leadership of the architect Lorenzo Porchatti (1898). As a result, the city was enriched with a new facade for the cathedral, and a new palace in the Sienese neo-Gothic style. True, I cannot say that this sad fact greatly influenced the impression of both buildings - they look very impressive.

In the southwest of the city is the Church of San Giovanni ( Chiesa di San Giovanni), built during the 12th century between the city of Grosseto and the nearby salt pans. From the 16th century gradually fell into decay and lost its significance as a church. Reconstructed in the 18th century, when the reclamation of wetlands around the city began, it is now private property.

Piazza Dante connects with the Old Gate ( Porta Vecchia) small street Strada Ricasoli. There are no elegant Tuscan palazzos here, but that doesn't make the houses any less lovely. A construction site has been deployed near the gate - they are restoring cassero del Sale, a building where, since the 14th century, there was a customs office that controlled the production and trade of salt. Salt from the surrounding salt works also came here. By the 19th century, the building was rebuilt several times, and eventually turned into several apartments, but now it is being given a medieval look. You will be in those parts and it will be ready - take a picture for me

Walls of Grosseto (Mura di Grosseto)

As I said, the Old Town of Grosseto is surrounded by a fortress wall around the perimeter. In many places, you can climb it and go around the city around the perimeter. Initially, the city walls (Mura di Grosseto) were built in the XII century, repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. If you look closely at the drawing of the old streets of Grosseto, it is noticeable that the wall of the XII century. covered a much smaller area than now - the street pattern has not changed since that time. Walking through the streets on the site of an ancient wall, you come across the remains of the gate, then the former watchtowers, and even fragments of masonry used to build the palazzo.

The present appearance of the walls was acquired between 1574 and 1593, being erected according to the project of Baldassarre Lanci and by order and at the expense of the great Tuscan Duke Francesco I of Medici. The fortress city has the shape of a hexagon, at the corners of which bastions rise, and in the upper right corner there is a real citadel, majestic and impregnable. Until 1757, at the bottom of the walls, on the outside, there was a moat filled with water (there was even a dam that controlled the water level). After Tuscany fell to the Habsburgs, Leopoldo II (1855) dismantled most of the fortifications on the bastions, turning the wall into a tree-lined promenade. During World War II, part of the wall was badly damaged, the gatehouse where medieval frescoes were kept was destroyed.

If we list the structures of the Medici wall in sequence, then, starting from Piazza della Vasca,

1. Bastione Rimembranza(1577), in which a park is laid out, and in the center stands the stele Monumento al Milite Ignoto (1921) - in memory of those who died in the First World War. In the Middle Ages, a powder warehouse was located here.

2. Bastione Fortezza(1593) of a pentagonal shape, which has two auxiliary bastions deployed towards the city center - St. Lucia (Bastione di Santa Lucia), and Victory (Bastione della Vittoria), now there is a museum and exhibition halls. Inside the bastion-fortress is Cassero Senese ( Cassero Senese, XIV century) - fortification-tower. Like the Porta Vecchia gate, the fortification was preserved from the ancient fortress wall and organically fit into the Medici fortification system built in the second half of the 16th century. The Porta di Santa Lucia, built at the end of the 13th century and named after the church of Santa Lucia, once stood nearby, leads to the bastion. A drawbridge leads to them, and in the upper part there is the coat of arms of Siena.

Inside the citadel, of course, there is an autonomous water supply - a well Pozzo della Fortezza(1590) on Piazza d "Armi in the center of the fortress. The project was developed by the architect from Fiesole Raffaello Pagni: rainwater is collected in huge underground tanks, which is purified and distributed inside the citadel. Outwardly, you can see only a marble fountain, covered with a lattice and decorated with the Medici coat of arms. In addition to the spring, the fortress has a chapel of St. Barbara ( Cappella di Santa Barbara), dating from the 16th century. It was built on the site of the chapel of St. Lucia, and until the middle of the XVIII century. the fallen warriors of Grosseto were buried here. In the 19th century the chapel was rebuilt.

3. Bastion Maiano(1566), the oldest of the bastions.

4. Bastione Cavallerizza(1575) with the adjacent Porta Vecchia (known since the XII century, once had watchtower).

5. Bastione Molino a Vento(1570s) and the Porta Corsica gate (XIX century). Stray dogs live here, however, they are quite peaceful.

6. Bastione Garibaldi(1577) with the monument to Garibaldi and Porta Nuova, through which we entered the city, going from the station, they have been known since the 14th century and had a watchtower. Under the Medici, the gates were laid, restoring them again only in the 18th century.

Walking along the walls of Grosseto is worth at least in order to look somewhere at the plains and feel that you are back in Tuscany….

“In September, heat still pours from the skies over the Siena plain, and the stubble on the mowed fields looks like the skin of a predator. This is perhaps one of the most beautiful places all over the world, the creator with the utmost grace has drawn a soft ridge of hills and generously decorated it with rich vegetation, among which the cypress reigns like a true ruler. But man has managed to cultivate this land and has set up dwellings for himself everywhere, which, starting from the princely palazzo and ending with the most wretched hut, are equally endowed with the same charm and harmony with their round tiles on the roof and walls of the color of sunny ocher. The road here is not monotonous, it winds, rises, descends to new valleys, runs through fields arranged in terraces, between hundreds of years old olive trees. Here, in Siena, both god and man were equal in the talent of creation. Maurice Druon "Lily and the Lion"