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The Maremma around Grosseto is a region rich in history, natural
beauties, ancient traditions and tastes.
The province of
Grosseto, with its 4,500 sq. km, is among the largest in Italy and
the most extended of the 10 provinces in Tuscany. Its coast extends
over about 150 km and off the coast you can find Giglio and
Giannutri Islands and several national parks. Population density is
only 48 inhabitants per sq. km, which gives an idea of a vast, still
uncontaminated area.
Walking along its ancient paths means breathing its history through
its Etrurian, Roman and Medieval ruins, and its thousand-year-old
mining deposits which are so characteristic of the region.
The landscape, with
its small villages perching on top of the hills, the beautiful views
diving into the Tyrrhenian Sea Horizon, the sheets of water and the
marshes that still witness the primitive suggestive nature of the
area, together with the scents of the air, the woods and farming
land changing colours, make Maremma an original and truly stirring
sight.
The local people are
extremely hospitable and frank, which is typical of people living in
the country. This sort of “kind roughness” of both the people and
the landscape can be easily perceived even by the most hasty
visitors.
In the
province of Grosseto both agriculture and tourism play
a major role. Especially in the Maremma area environmentally
friendly
unsprayed farm products are becoming more and
more popular.
A lot of arable farms comply with EC 2092/91 regulations, and the
great majority of independent farmers use enviromentally friendly
techniques. All this is favoured by extensive farming, conducted in
an uncontaminated environment, far away from industries and large
towns.
Main crops include Cereals, such as hard wheat, oat and barley, and
vineyards, with the production of DOC wines, olive growing, sheep
farming (dairy breed as well as the Sardinian sheep) and cattle,
especially meat-type extensive grazing such as the “Maremmana” and
“Chianina” breeds.
As a whole, 45% of the tourists that choose
Tuscany find accommodation on the coast.
Farm accommodation for tourists is a real opportunity these days, as
there are some hundred farms offering hospitality together with the
tasting of local, typical products.
Since the old times of the Etruscans, Maremma is thought to give
delight not only to the eyes but to all human senses as a whole,
with its
sweet smells deriving from olive oil, chestnuts, wines, fruity
taste of honey, game, cheese, fruit.
The culinary tradition of Maremma has very ancient origins; actions
to control and protect high quality products have fortunately been
carried out in the last few years on a European scale, thus avoiding
dangerous adulterations or imitations. |
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