Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SOUTHERN TUSCANY
With its landscape of dramatic coastlines, mysterious Etruscan sites and medieval hilltop
villages, this little-visited pocket of the region offers contrasts galore.
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Massa Marittima
POP 8820
Drawcards at this tranquil hill town include an eccentric yet endearing jumble of museums,
an extremely handsome central piazza and largely intact medieval streets that are blessedly
bereft of tour groups.
Briefly under Pisan domination, Massa Marittima became an independent
comune
in
1225 but was swallowed up by Siena a century later. The 1348 plague, followed by the de-
cline of the town's lucrative mining industry 50 years later, reduced it to the brink of ex-
tinction. It was brought back to life by the draining of surrounding marshes (formerly a
malarial risk) and the re-establishment of mining in the 18th century.
Massa's big event is the
Ballestro del Girifalco
, a medieval crossbow competition held
twice yearly: on the first Sunday after 20 May and on a Sunday in either July or August
(usually the second Sunday in August).
Sights
The
città vecchia
(old town) is dominated by the impressive bulk of the
duomo
( 8am-
noon & 3-5pm)
, which presides over photogenic
Piazza Garibaldi
(aka Piazza Duomo).
Cleverly set asymmetrically to the square to better show off its splendour, it dates from
1260 and is dedicated to St Cerbonius, Massa's patron saint, who is always depicted sur-
rounded with a flock of geese; carved panels on the facade depict scenes from his life. In-
side, don't miss the freestanding
Maestà
(Madonna and Child enthroned in majesty; 1316)
attributed by some experts to Duccio di Buoninsegna.
The
duomo
was once home to a splendid
Maestà
by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, now the cent-
ral exhibit in the diminutive
Museo di Arte Sacra
(Museum of Sacred Art;
www.museiartesacra.net
;
Corso Diaz 36; adult/child €5/3; 10am-1pm & 3-6pm Tue-Sun summer, 11am-1pm & 3-5pm Tue-Sun
winter)
in the
città nuova
(new town).
