Castellina Marittima

To learn all about the tradition of alabaster, a visit to the Alabaster Ecomuseum is in order. The varied, multi-location museum follows the history of alabaster extraction in Castellina, Santa Luce and Volterra, narrating the importance of the quarries in this part of Tuscany; the Punto Museale Centrale of Castellina holds particularly important archival materials relating to the quarrying.

The historic Parish church of San Giovanni Battista stands out among the town’s many monuments. Legend has it the church was built on the foundations of a much older temple.

The Etruscan Coast area surrounding Castellina Marittima is a world of exploration in and of itself: the dense network of nature paths is ideal for enthusiasts of trekking and bike excursions, allowing you to visit villages such as Riparbella and Santa Luce. A few kilometres from the town is the sea of Vada and Cecina.

The Wiva Music Festival is definitely an occasion when it's worth visiting Castellina Marittima. Over the years it’s become an important showcase for many up-and-coming bands, as is the Festival of Peasant Cuisine, in which gastronomic specialties and historic traditional recipes are on offer.

The town is surrounded by forests of holm oaks, oaks, and maritime pines that characterise the landscape. Further downstream, where the hills become gentler, olive and vine cultivation flourishes. Numerous companies with high quality wines have lead to Castellina Marittima’s inclusion in the Etruscan Coast wine route.