Scansano is built is in the hilly Maremma inland along a strip of land between the coast and slopes of Mount Amiata with vast and varied panoramas. It dates from the Etruscans and the Romans as seen in the archeological site in Ghiaccioforte. It was dominated by the Aldobrandeschi family who built a castle, later used as a convent, there. In the 16th century Scansano developed a surprising demographic and urban development under the Counts of Santa Fiora and assumed the layout we still see today. After a period of political-social stagnation under the Medici’s, the town enjoyed a renewed phase of development under the Grand duke of Lorraine when the so-called “estatatura”, or summer period in which the public offices of Grosseto were transferred there, was instituted. The convent of Petreto with remains of the Aldobrandeschi walls and the Romanesque foundation of a church is situated on the top of a hill overlooking the town. Its appeal lies in its isolated position among woods of oak, ilex, cypress and pine. Today the Maremma around Scansano is no longer the harsh, uninhabited and wild land of the past; the view now offers hills green with pastures and lined by vineyards and olive groves whose colors change with the seasons. It has become a desired destination for nature lovers with the Mediterranean scrub blooming with broom, rock rose and strawberry trees. The town is now famous for the success of Morellino, the area’s red wine. Wine cellars and shops in and around Scansano are always open for sampling this lively/vivacious wine with its intense flavor and refined bouquet. The weekends during the annual celebration “Settembre a Scansano Morellino e sapori Doc” offer the chance for guided tasting of typical local produce and Morellino wine. The beauty of the landscape and the excellence of the products**have guaranteed an increasing growth of tourism in Scansano and the surrounding hamlets. Here, nature, tradition and innovation come together in ease and harmony.
MARINA DI GROSSETO (Grosseto)
