Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SOUTHERN TUSCANY
The southernmost part of Tuscany and the island of Elba have a
very different feel to any other Tuscan region. Thanks to the
hotter, drier and sunnier climate, the hills are cloaked in aro-
matic Mediterranean scrub, known as macchia . Palm trees grow in
towns and also edge the sandy beaches, and strands of prickly pear
cactus are traditionally used to mark field boundaries in the countryside.
The coastline, lined
with fishing villages and
beaches, is very popular in
the summer, with numerous
holiday villages and caravan
sites. Resorts such as Monte
Argentario have a much
more exclusive image, and are
favoured by the wealthy, yacht-owning
Italians from Rome and Milan. Inland,
the region's wild and unspoiled hills
are popular with sportsmen, who
come to hunt for wild boar and deer.
The transformation of the marshy
coastal strip, known as the Maremma,
into a holiday playground is a recent
development. The ancient Etruscans,
followed by the Romans (see p42) ,
drained its swamps to create richly
fertile farming land. After the collapse
of the Roman Empire, the drainage
channels became choked, turning
the Maremma into an inhospitable
wilderness of marshland and
stagnant pools plagued by
malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
Re-draining of the land began
again in the late 18th century
and, with the help of insecti-
cides, the malaria-mosquito was
finally eliminated in the 1950s.
LITTLE DEVELOPMENT
The region slumbered from Roman
times and for long periods was virtual-
ly uninhabited except for farmers and
fishermen. Consequently there are few
cities or major architectural and artistic
monuments. On the other hand,
archaeological remains have survived
because there were few people here
to salvage the stone for new buildings.
The relative lack of intensive farming
means the region is still rich in
wildlife, from butterflies and orchids
to tortoises and porcupines.
Detail of Romanesque tympanum on the Duomo at Massa Marittima
 
 
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