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It’s an easy drive out of Rome onto the “Aurelia”, the road that heads up the coast following the route of the old Roman road. Very quickly you are out of an urban environment and bowling through productive-looking vegetable growing areas, bordered by roadside verges vibrant with the colour of wildflowers. Turning off the main route after about an hour and a half’s drive, you reach the promontory of Monte Argentario . On the map it looks almost like an island, linked to the mainland by three tendrils. In fact it was an ancient island which became joined to the coastline by two strips of accumulated sand enclosing a stretch of the Tyrrhenian Sea that is now the Orbetello lagoon, an area of intense ecological diversity administered by the World Wildlife Fund. The central strip of the three is partly man-made and connects Argentario to the town of Orbetello, itself on a narrow promontory and now surrounded on three sides by its lagoon. In the sixteenth century the Spanish gained control of the area from the Republic of Siena and made Orbetello the capital of their “Stato dei Presidi”(the name for their sphere of influence in this part of Italy). One enters the town from the Aurelia through an impressive Hispanic-baroque gateway, built by the Spanish as part of a massive burst of fortification as they strove to consolidate their trading position in the Mediterranean. On Monte Argentario itself and on up the coast there are constant reminders of more belligerent times, particularly the series of “Castelle” or look-out towers that stud the coastline. At Porto Ercole, one of the two main towns on Argentario, the fortresses of La Rocca, Filippo, Santa Carolina and Stella dominate the hillsides above the perfect little natural harbour. Now that Porto Ercole is a place more associated with pleasure, good food, boats and relaxation the profusion of these fortifications rather takes one by surprise but adds another interesting angle to this incredibly picturesque little port. 
The other town on Argentario is Santo Stefano, a lively bustling port where you can catch the ferry to the neighbouring islands of Giglio and Giannutri. Although there has been a fishing village here for centuries much of the town was bombed during the war and so had to be reconstructed. Cleverly they used a lot of the old stone for rebuilding which makes its newness far less obvious. Along the front there is an excellent fish market and a profusion of restaurants, as well as the marina, where you can admire the beautiful yachts and luxurious gin-palaces. It is the perfect place for a “passegiata” - the Italian word for taking a stroll while watching the world go by. Argentario is a remarkably unspoilt coastal haven, particularly considering its proximity to Rome. Since the 1970s there have been strict planning laws in place to preserve the natural beauty of the area. Consequently, if you drive round the west side of the promontory from one town to the other you find yourself on narrow roads wiggling along the coast surrounded by Mediterranean scrub; thyme, myrtle, rock roses, lavender, wild olive and fig. The land rises steeply above the road and falls away precipitously below it to the sea. It is an exhilarating and breathtaking journey, most spectacular at sunset when the whole sky seems to glow red, though not one to be undertaken in the dark by faint-hearted drivers. One of the best ways to enjoy Monte Argentario is to explore by boat the wealth of little coves around the coast which are inaccessible by road. There are numerous places in Porte Ecole or Santo Stefano that will hire you boats of all shapes and sizes. Alternatively you can take the ferry to the islands from Santo Stefano which gives you a fantastic view of the coastline of Argentario. The ferry’s first port of call is Giglio Porto, the pretty fishing village on the largest island of Giglio. It’s a beautiful place to wander round, with a castle at the top of the village to explore and lots of good restaurants. In the nearby cove Cala del Saraceno stand the ruins of a Roman villa. Giannutri, the smaller of the two islands, has no cars and so is a place to walk and take a picnic. It is well-known for its caves , particularly the Cala Dei Grottoni at the southern tip of the island and for the fine ruins of the Roman Domizi Enorbarbi villa with remains of mosaics, paved paths and columns. Monte Argentario is in the region of Tuscany called the Maremma that is valued for its special natural environment. The Maremma National Park stretches from Talamone, a stunning medieval coastal town to Principina a Mare just to the south of Grosseto. It is regarded as the most varied and distinctive of the natural parks in Italy and incorporates the Uccellina hills, the Trappola marshes with their abundance of bird life and the flat plains at the mouth of the River Ombrone, where you find herds of Maremman horses and cattle with their distinctive lyre-shaped horns. Bizarrely the Maremma has its own brand of cowboy, the butteri, who famously challenged and defeated Buffalo Bill and his cowboys in 1905 to a horse-breaking and cattle-roping competition when William Cody’s “Wild West Show” was visiting Italy. The butteri continue practising their traditions and can be seen at village fairs or on the last remaining cattle ranches in the area. 
The park also has miles of beautiful beaches, practically deserted because you are not allowed to drive into the park and so access is on foot. You amble through the aromatic Mediterranean scrub (known as macchia) perhaps visiting one of the Castelle or the splendid ruin of the San Rabano monastery on the way. Keep your eyes peeled for a sight of wild boar, the ingredient of many of the Maremma’s most famous dishes. The main entry point for the park is at Alberese where there is a visitors centre, from there you are taken into the park by bus and provided with a map of the different walks. The name Maremma is derived from the Spanish word “marismas” meaning swamp and originates from the sixteenth century when the area came under Spanish influence. Though the area had, millennia before, been the centre of the Etruscans sphere of influence, it was subsequently neglected and became uninhabitable, mosquitoes thrived in the swampy conditions and brought pestilence in the form of malaria. “Cursed be the Maremma” are the words of an old woodsmen’s song. The vital drainage and terracing work undertaken by the Etruscans was neglected by the Romans and it wasn’t until the nineteenth century that a rigorous programme of land reclamation, facilitated by technical developments, made the area the productive, ecologically diverse place it is today. 
Some of the most significant Etruscan remains in the area are found at Sorana which rises from a mound of sheer volcanic rock (tufa) overlooking the deep valley formed by the River Lente. Here you can see the “Vie Cave” an impressive labyrinth of pathways cut into the tufa stone that connected Sorano to the surrounding necropolises and to all the other important Etrurian towns. There is also a spectacular sixteenth century fortress in the town, worth seeing as a perfect example of Renaissance military architecture. Nearby, the town of Pitigliano has an even more spectacular elevated position on a high bastion of tufa, punctured with the entrances to caves and tunnels burrowing into the rock. The Museo della Diocesi there is crammed with valuable Etruscan finds. At Sovana, which completes this triangle of fascinating historic towns, we find tombs from the 7th century BC, the earliest period of Etruscan civilisation. The town became pivotal in the period of the Etruscan civilisation’s greatest splendour and again became important in the Middle Ages as is evident from the quality of its medieval buildings. The 11th century Duomo is an exceptional example of Romanesque architecture that was later modified and restored. After absorbing all this culture a trip to the hot springs at Saturnia is the perfect tonic. The therapeutic qualities of its steaming springs have been appreciated since Roman times. There is a large public bathing area just outside the town on the road to Montemerano or you can visit the Hotel Terme di Saturnia, an exclusive spa resort which has pools and facilities for day visitors. Alternatively a bit of wine tasting might be a good antidote to a surfeit of culture. A visit to La Parrina just north of Orbetello is different kind of aesthetic experience. This 18th century Tuscan estate produces, not only wine, but also vegetables, fruit, cheese, olive oil and honey. There is a wonderful farm shop there which people drive all the way from Rome to visit (despite the fact the estate has two shops there) where you can sample all the produce. Tours of the cheese making can be arranged - make sure to try the ubriaca or “drunk pecorino” which is left to mature in a wine barrel lined with grape skins. From Monte Argentario you have access to such a wide range of activities - beaches and boats, walking and wildlife, culture and wonderful regional cooking. Find out more about:
Argentario Quotes“At the onset of their tempestuous affair in 1962, Richard Burton and Liz Taylor escaped from the set of Cleopatra in Rome, dodged the paparazzi (as well as their respective spouses) and headed up the coast to Monte Argentario. They considered that this unspoilt seaside enclave on the Tuscan coast was the ideal place for a tryst. And they were right.” "I have never entirely understood the English love affair with Tuscany. To be buried among a breezeless series of parched hills and valleys at temperatures that render infants either dazed or hysterical has never seemed to me an attractive prospect. There is one exception to this prejudice, however, and that is Monte Argentario, a mountainous peninsula linked by a causeway to the Italian mainland, about one and a half hour's drive north-west of Rome". |
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Argentario · Maremma · Northern Tuscany · Rome · Contact & booking · Home |
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Dimore Italiane Ltd 257 Dover House Road London SW15 5BZ carolina@dimoreitaliane.co.uk |
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