Firstly, Hi! Welcome to my website, which has everything you need to know about the Maremma in Southern Tuscany.

My name’s Elisa. I’m an Australian journalist who came to the Maremma a couple of years back for a holiday and simply never left. It’s all terribly cliche – I feel in love with a local, got married and now Diane Lane is going to play me in a film… okay so I’m joking about the last part.

But when I first moved to the Maremma, there was absolutely nothing for English-speaking tourists. I could never reconcile with how it was possible that such an incredibly beautiful province could have so few resources.

Every morning when I step out of the house, I am struck by the the hills of the Maremma. As I write this, it’s summer and the fields are a mottled ochre. Every so often there’s a burst of green oak or chestnut. The wild flowers are scorched and only the deep yellow sunflowers still manage to turn their bright petals to the sun.

My nearest neighbours are two kilometres away and between us are endless stretches of untouched and unspoilt countryside. For a local, the isolation can sometimes be a pain in the behind, but for a tourist, it promises days whiled away under the Tuscan sun and an authenticity that’s lost in Florence and Siena among the souvenir stands and tourist menus.

That’s not to say that the Maremma is the tourist equivalent of a leper. Every year more and more tourists discover this gorgeous province, but they are yet to leave their mark on the sleepy cities or the centuries of history and tradition that define them.

Behind the facade of medieval walls, the Maremma’s towns and cities move at a slower pace. The older locals come out of the sandstone houses that their ancestors have lived in since the Renaissance to sit in their courtyard gardens and gossip. Ancient fortresses cast shadows over the cobblestone streets and every corner has an ornate church or lovingly cared for monument to a fallen local hero.

The younger Maremmani have grown up knowing everybody in their town and in lieu of a club, spend their evenings in stylishly old pubs with exposed timber beams and lists of Italian beers.

It’s quite simply idyllic and it’s quite simply the Tuscany you always imagined, but thought was confined to the silver screen. I’m infatuated with the province and I thought it was only fair to share my secret love with other intrepid travellers, which is where this website comes in.

Over the years, I’ve had quite a bit to do with the international tourism in the region. I’ve spent ages researching exactly what makes the Maremma so appealing and, while I can’t perfectly capture the incredible sensation of tranquility and freedom that comes from just being in this province, I hope I’ve provided you with all the information you’ll need for your vacation in the Maremma.

As well as a complete run down on every town in the Maremma, I’ve also included accommodation suggestions, restaurant recommendations and a list of all the things to see and do in the Maremma. If you meander through my website, you’ll also get a healthy dose of the local history, traditions, festivals and food that define this province and make it so unforgettable.

So welcome, benvenuto! I hope you enjoy my website and are inspired to visit the Maremma and experience its beauty, its traditions, its history and its completely disarming charm for yourself!.

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