Gavorrano

Gavorrano, spread over 19,000 hectares, stands out for its environmental, historical and cultural richness, offering breathtaking landscapes and for the presence of medieval villages such as Caldana, Ravi, Giuncarico, as well as large wooded areas and ancient Etruscan ruins.

The local mining heritage is particularly relevant, with the former mines of Gavorrano and Ravi constituting a major attraction. Despite being close to the Tyrrhenian coast, it maintains a peaceful atmosphere, immersed in a low anthropic density but dense with history. The local fauna is varied and often unique, and the traditional Tuscan rural landscapes are mostly preserved, with olive groves, vineyards and fields bordered by hedges. Oenology with its 300 hectares of vineyards is in continuous development. Numerous wineries are under construction, including one designed by Renzo Piano.

Gavorrano

Gavorrano is also home to several architectural wonders, including numerous churches such as the Church of San Giuliano and the Church of San Biagio, as well as important archaeological sites such as Castel di Pietra. The surrounding medieval villages form a ring of scenic gems, with Gavorrano and Bagni di Gavorrano rising from a granite hill, Monte Calvo. Ravi retains its ancient structure, while Giuncarico retains its medieval appearance. Finally, Caldana retains the characteristics of an ancient castle, with its Church of S. Biagio representing a rare example of Renaissance sacred architecture.

Gavorrano, extending over a territory of 19,000 hectares, offers a panorama of extraordinary environmental quality, dotted with historical, cultural and natural resources. Together with the municipal seat, the Gavorrano territory includes fascinating medieval villages such as Caldana, Ravi Giuncarico, extensive oak woods, chestnut groves, ancient Etruscan tombs and medieval castles such as the Rocca di Castel di Pietra. One cannot forget the mining heritage of Gavorrano, included in the local Parco Minerario Naturalistico, with the former mines of Gavorrano and Ravi.

Not far from the Tyrrhenian coast, Gavorrano maintains a tranquil atmosphere, far from coastal noise, completely immersing its 8,000 residents in an environment of low anthropic density but rich in history, one of the most representative in the province of Grosseto.

Its geographical position, climate, specific geology and lush evergreen woods form the perfect habitat for a varied fauna: among wild boars, roe deer, porcupines, foxes, and other small creatures that populate the woods and countryside, there are also species rarely seen elsewhere, such as the marten and the wild cat.

In Gavorrano, traditional Tuscan rural landscapes remain intact, with olive groves, fields bordered by hedges, rows of cypresses and vineyards. The latter sector, with over 300 hectares of cultivated vineyards, is growing steadily, contributing to making Gavorrano one of the area's leading producers. Worthy of note are the large wine cellars under construction, which blend harmoniously with the Maremma landscape. One of these, currently under construction, was designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano, whose skills are recognised on a global scale.

What is there to see in Gavorrano?

Here is a list of historical and cultural places of interest in this fascinating municipality.

The Church of San Giuliano, originally built on the foundations of the ancient fortress, has a bell tower with a lower portion of walls that is older than the rest of the building. Renovated and enlarged between the 17th and 18th centuries, it conserves a precious marble sculpture of the Madonna and Child, attributed to Giovanni d'Agostino, and two 18th-century paintings, the Annunciation and the Baptism of Christ.

Another noteworthy place of worship is the Church of San Biagio, a rare example of Renaissance sacred architecture in the Lower Maremma. Built by the noble Sienese Austini family, recent studies attribute it to Michelangelo. Inside, you can admire a fresco by Nicola Nasini and a 17th-century baptismal font made of local marble.

Finally, the Gavorrano area includes the important archaeological site of Castel di Pietra, which preserves evidence from Etruscan times to the 14th century. Initially under the control of the Aldobrandeschi family, it then passed to the Pannocchieschi family, undergoing several urban transformations.

Today, the Castel di Pietra Documentation Centre, located in the main town of Gavorrano, houses the finds from the various excavation campaigns carried out by the University of Siena.

The medieval villages near Gavorrano are a precious ring of gems, together they compose a panoramic necklace that winds through the hills, offering a solemn glimpse of the interior of the territory. Giuncarico dominates the plain looking towards Roccastrada, while Caldana and Ravi, shrouded in woodland, guard the valley that later spreads over Gavorrano and extends to the Gulf of Follonica. The castle of Scarlino once acted as a bulwark towards the sea, so some scholars consider these manors to be the end of the millenary routes used for the transhumance of the Apennine herds to the Maremma for wintering. Oblivion, abandonment and depopulation in these regions have created a fascinating scenario, where enigmas are still hidden that the more developed Tuscany has forgotten. And not only myths and stories of unknown refugees, but also artistic wonders protected from oblivion, such as the church of Caldana, which some experts believe was designed by Michelangelo.

Gavorrano and Bagni di Gavorrano emerge from the slopes of a granite hill, Monte Calvo. The name Gavorrano evolved over time from Caput Boreanum to Capo Borano, to Cavorano, and finally to its current name. The first traces of the settlement date back to the 9th century. The walls of the Gavorrano fortress are still visible, characterised by several towers, in particular the two on the southern side that house two round-arched gates. In the church of S. Giuliano is a small marble statue depicting the Madonna and Child, the work of Giovanni d'Agostino, a well-known 14th-century Sienese sculptor. The Documentation Centre located near the Town Hall displays archaeological finds recovered from Castel di Pietra. Bagno di Gavorrano, a former thermal village, is currently the most populous settlement in the municipality, hosting several sports facilities.

Ravi maintains intact its ancient structure, characterised by narrow alleys. Its castle,

documented as far back as 785, was owned by the monks of the Abbey of St Bartholomew of Sestinga in the 11th and 12th centuries, then passed to Ildebrando Aldobrandeschi, and finally in 1262 became the domain of the city of Siena. On the hillside near the village is the Artofago cave, the site of artefacts dating back some 5,000 years, now preserved in the Grosseto Archaeological Museum.

Giuncarico, first mentioned in a document from 772 by the Abbey of San Salvatore on Monte Amiata, still retains the appearance of a medieval village built around the walls. The eastern gate is original and has a round stone arch, while the tower above it is more recent. The church of S. Egidio houses an 18th century painting depicting the Madonna with Saints.

In the plain below Giuncarico are the Etruscan tomb of Poggio Pelliccia and the Etruscan necropolis of S. Germano. Near Poggio Zenone are the remains of the medieval castle known as 'la Castellaccia'.

Caldana, an ancient medieval village, still possesses the characteristics of the castle. The church of S. Biagio is a precious testimony of Renaissance sacred architecture, rare in the Maremma area of Grosseto. The design of some parts of the interior of the Church of San Biagio is attributed, by some scholars, to Michelangelo Buonarroti. On the gable of this building, one can recognise the coat of arms of the Austini, the family that rebuilt the castle in the 16th century and built the church. Inside is a fresco depicting the crucifix and Saints Biagio and Guglielmo, the work of Giovanni Nasini.

Map of Gavorrano

How to get to Gavorrano

By car, the distance between Punta Ala and Gavorrano is 27.79 km, which takes about 30 minutes, while by bus it takes one hour and eighteen minutes.

As the crow flies, the distance between Punta Ala and Gavorrano is 18.49 km.

Where Gavorrano is located

Gavorrano is located in the province of Grosseto in Tuscany.

Located 273 metres above sea level on Monte Calvo, Gavorrano is on the northern slope of Monte d'Alma, in the territory of the Grosseto Metalliferous Hills, and is about 15 minutes by car from the sea.