Suvereto

At the top of the hill, the impressive Rocca Aldobrandesca offers a beautiful view of the town from outside its walls, and serves as a powerful reminder of the historic medieval settlement.

Inside the protective walls are many fascinating historical sites, such as the Romanesque church of San Giusto.

A notable painting can be found in the Church of the Madonna di Sopra la Porta, an eighteenth century building that is still standing thanks to the devoted care of locals. Having survived a dangerous storm, they wanted to dedicate a building to the divine to show their gratitude.

The hilly convent of San Francesco and its cloisters is also an unmissable religious monument. It was built in the thirteenth century but now hosts concerts and shows.

The intriguing Doll Museum, which guides you through the toy’s history, is home to a vast collection spanning years and displaying various costumes.

Nature also dominates the region, as the Montioni Natural Park suggests. Here you’ll find a natural area of about 7000 hectares between Grosseto and Livorno, where wild boars, roe deer, fallow deer and porcupines roam among the Mediterranean scrub and thick oaks.

The alum quarries have also left lasting evidence that Elisa Bonaparte, Napoleon's sister, understood the potential of this rich region.

Just outside Suvereto, along the provincial road through forests and chestnut woods, are a plethora of trails to explore by foot or bicycle leading towards Monte Calvi. Along the spelt crops and Cinta Senese pigs on top of a hill is the small and delightful historical village of Sassetta.

Suvereto’s Boar Festival takes place every year between the end of November and the beginning of December; it is the most important event that the village holds and represents the uniting of local flavours, culture and folklore. Food-wise, the festival offers the best quality local products, including olive oil and wine from local farms, and multiple tasters based on wild boar, the area’s typical game.

Thanks to the flourishing countryside that surrounds Survereto, its farms produce wonderful oil and such a distinctive wine that it has obtained the DOCG denomination. The Wine Trail actually passes through these hills, allowing you to familiarize yourself, at each stop off, the places where the wine acquires its unique flavours.

Suvereto, once tightly tied to the land and tradition, was the a centre of unique craftsmanship: blacksmiths, cork workers, carpenters, charcoal burners and straw workers were all based here. Some skilled craftsmen do fortunately survive and are scattered through the village.