Grosseto in Tuscany
Grosseto - presumably arisen from an Etruscan city - is situated in an alluvional plain of the Ombrone river, about 12 kilometres from the sea. It was nearly totally destroyed during World War II and is today the capital of the biggest Tuscan province, the Maremma. West of this, for a long time a generally marshy area of Grosseto, lies the Tyrrhenian Sea, and south the Parco Naturale della Maremma.
Grosseto’s history began as a passage for travellers on the Via Aurelia. It expanded increasingly into a stronghold, later then into the junction between Rome and Pisa and into the centre of salt extraction. The first larger upswing took place with the transfer arranged by Pope Innozenz II of the bishopric to Grosseto. But the cumulative swamping of the Maremma and the unbearable climate change led to a malaria pestilence, which then led to the continuous declination of its population. According to a legend, high-ranking convicts were allowed to choose to either serve their sentence in jail or to assume an office in Grosseto. Most would have preferred jail over the miserable life in Grosseto, threatened by Malaria.
Etruscans, Romans and later monks tried to drain the area around Grosseto, but the situation could only be changed effectively under the Habsburg Grand Duke Leopold II with his drainage and reforestation project. The malaria wasn’t completely exterminated though, only dammed, because the water returned consistently - but at least Grosseto was habitable again.
In honour of Leopold II, a monument was put up on the central Piazza Dante, displaying how he crushes the malaria, symbolically shown in the form of snakes.
In the 1930s, Mussolini then continued the draining and reforestation work on a grand scale -under adequate propagandistic pretences - and then, in the 50s, exterminated the malaria parasites fully, by using the insecticide DDT.
With this, the base for the growth Grosseto’s as a now commercial and agricultural metropolis was established, the base of which is tourism as well as farming and stock breeding. Only fascistic and very pompous constructions, like the post office, were left from the Mussolini era.
Today, Grosseto is divided in the after the World War completely re-established Old Town and in the unattractive, modern part of the town. This oppositeness is also reflected in the coexistence of the antique charm in the Old Town and punk, drugs and American football, which the new part of Grosseto is notorious for. The historical centre lies within the medicean walls, a hexangular structure with six pentagonal bastions, made out of red brick. These, in total 5 km long walls are now used as a footpath from where one can view the roofs and palazzos of Grosseto.
Since the completion of the new Autostrada there is no more traffic using the old Via Aurelia that leads right through the middle of Grosseto. Also, within the town walls of the Old Town, there are no cars allowed, so that it is possible to view and stroll through Grosseto without the noise and hecticness of traffic. In the centre Grossetos, the arcade lined Piazza Dante, one can visit the cathedral and the Palazzo della Provincia emblazed with towers, seat of the provincial government.
The oldest churches in Grosseto are San Pietro and San Francesco, which were both built in the 13th century. The Museo Archeologico e d'Arte della Maremma introduces unusual prehistoric, Etruscian and Roman finds from Roselle, Vetulonia and the complete Fiora Valley, like Etruscan writings that are read from right to left, as well as the oldest preserved Etruscan alphabet from the 7th century B.C.
Because one can find everything within a small radius, it is great for shopping in Grosseto. After a shopping tour in the Via San Martino, directly behind the Palazzo della Provincia or after a walk along the boulevard and main shopping street Corso Carducci, one can enjoy the typical Tuscan kitchen with flavoursome pasta, tempting cheese, sun-ripened tomatoes, artichokes, mushrooms, olives and delightful venison dishes.
Grosseto is an ideal starting point for excursions to the Southern Tuscan wine-growing regions. Besides, there is a railway station on the line between Genoa and Rome with connections to Pisa and to Florence. So, those who don’t travel by car can enjoy the exquisite train journeys along vast cornfields, vineyards, olive tree plantations, woods and valleys. However, both swimming areas Marina di Grosseto and Principina a Mare are more than unattractive. It is advisable to fall back on the free beaches to the north of Marina di Grosseto or on those at Albarese. Depending on the season, regional flights are offered from the military airfield situated near Grosseto, which also has civil air traffic to a limited extent.
