Grosseto is a city and comune

Comune

In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...

 in the central Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 region of Tuscany

Tuscany

Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....

, the capital of the Province of Grosseto

Province of Grosseto

The Province of Grosseto is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Grosseto.-Geography:It has an area of 4,504 km², and a total population of 227.498...

. The city lies 14 km from the Tyrrhenian Sea

Tyrrhenian Sea

The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....

, in the Maremma

Maremma

The Maremma is a vast area in Italy bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea, consisting of part of south-western Tuscany - Maremma Livornese and Maremma Grossetana , and part of northern Lazio - Maremma Laziale .The poet Dante Alighieri in his Divina Commedia places the...

, at the centre of an alluvial plain, on the Ombrone

Ombrone

The Ombrone is a 160 km long river in Tuscany, central Italy.The Ombrone's source is located near Castelnuovo Berardenga, on the south-eastern side of the Monti del Chianti...

 river.

It is the most populous city in Maremma, with 82,284 inhabitants. The comune of Grosseto includes the frazioni of Marina di Grosseto

Marina di Grosseto

Marina di Grosseto is a famous tourist destination located twelve kilometers from Grosseto; it is an important seaside resort in Grossetan Maremma...

, the largest, Roselle

Rusellae

Rusellae was an ancient town of Etruria , which survived until the Middle Ages before being abandoned. The ruins lie in the modern frazione of Roselle in the comune of Grosseto.-Geography:...

, Principina a Mare

Principina a Mare

Principina a Mare is a seaside resort, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto, in the homonym province.The centre, less populated during winter, is mainly made up of houses of holidaymakers, hotels of high standards and a campsite of medium standards...

, Principina Terra

Principina Terra

Principina Terra is a small town in southern Tuscany, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto.The frazione is situated south-east of the capital, nearly half way between the residential centre and the coastal localities of Marina di Grosseto and Principina a Mare...

, Montepescali

Montepescali

Montepescali is a small town in southern Tuscany, Italy, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto.The site, from which the scenic panorama of the coastal strip and the Tuscan Archipelago up to Corsica can be seen, is also known as "Terrace or balcony of the Maremma".-History:The town was built in the...

, Braccagni

Braccagni

Braccagni is a modern frazione of the comune of Grosseto, positioned in the northern part of the communal territory, at the bottom of the hill of Montepescali....

, Istia d'Ombrone

Istia d'Ombrone

Istia d'Ombrone is a small town in southern Tuscany, Italy, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto.-History:In the area surrounding the centre of Istia there have been found some ruins of ancient habitations dating back to the Etruscan era in the area of Poggio Cavallo.It was habitated also during...

, Batignano

Batignano

Batignano is a small town in southern Tuscany, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto, positioned at about 10 km north-east of the capital on one of the last foot-hills of the valley of Ombrone which dominated the ancient city of Roselle....

, Alberese

Alberese

Alberese is a rural town in southern Tuscany, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto. It is situated 20 km south-east of the capital, in the heart of the Natural Park of Maremma...

 and Rispescia

Rispescia

Rispescia, or Santa Maria di Rispescia, is a small town in southern Tuscany, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto, situated about 10 km south-east of the capital, right outside the Natural Park of Maremma, near the frazione of Alberese....

.

History

The origins of Grosseto can be traced back to the High Middle Ages

High Middle Ages

The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....

. It is first mentioned in 803 as a fief of the Counts Aldobrandeschi, in a document recording the assignment of the church of St. George to Ildebrando degli Aldobrandeschi, whose successors where counts of the Grossetana Mark until the end of the 12th century.

Grosseto steadily grew in importance owing to the decline of Rusellae

Rusellae

Rusellae was an ancient town of Etruria , which survived until the Middle Ages before being abandoned. The ruins lie in the modern frazione of Roselle in the comune of Grosseto.-Geography:...

 and Vetulonia

Vetulonia

Vetulonia, formerly called Vetulonium , was an ancient town of Etruria, Italy, the site of which is probably occupied by the modern village of Vetulonia, which up to 1887 bore the name of Colonnata and Colonna di Buriano: the site is currently a frazione of the comune of Castiglione della Pescaia,...

 until it was one of the principal Tuscan cities. In 1137 the city was besieged by German troops, led by duke Henry X of Bavaria

Henry X, Duke of Bavaria

thumb|right|Henry X in a much later engraving.Henry the Proud was the Duke of Bavaria , Duke of Saxony , and Margrave of Tuscany .-Life and reign:...

, sent by the emperor Lothair III to reinstate his authority over the Aldobrandeschi. In the following year the bishopric of Roselle was transferred to Grosseto.

In 1151 the citizens swore loyalty to the Siena

Republic of Siena

The Republic of Siena , was a state originating from the city of Siena in Tuscany, Central Italy.It existed for over four hundreds years, from the late 11th century until the year 1555, when was defeated by the rival Duchy of Florence in alliance with the Spanish crown...

, and in 1222 the Aldobrandeschi gave the Grossetani the right to have their own podestà

Podestà

Podestà is the name given to certain high officials in many Italian cities, since the later Middle Ages, mainly as Chief magistrate of a city state , but also as a local administrator, the representative of the Emperor.The term derives from the Latin word potestas, meaning power...

, together with three councilors and consuls. In 1244 the city was reconquered by the Sienese, and its powers, together with all the Aldobrandeschi's imperial privileges, were transferred to Siena by order of the imperial vicar

Imperial vicar

An imperial vicar was a prince charged with administering all or part of the Holy Roman Empire on behalf of the Emperor. Later, an imperial vicar was invariably one of two princes charged by the Golden Bull with administering the Holy Roman Empire during an interregnum.The Holy Roman Empire had no...

. Thereafter Grosseto shared the fortunes of Siena. It became an important stronghold, and the fortress (rocca), the walls and bastions can still to be seen.

In 1266 and in 1355, Grosseto tried in vain to win freedom from the overlordship of Siena. While Guelph and Ghibelline parties struggled for control of that city, Umberto and Aldobrandino Aldobrandeschi tried to regain Grossetto for their family. The Sienese armies were however victorious, and in 1259 they named a podestà from their city. But Grosseto gained its freedom and in the following year and fought alongside the Florentine

Florence

Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....

 forces in the Battle of Montaperti

Battle of Montaperti

The Battle of Montaperti was fought on September 4, 1260, between Florence and Siena in Tuscany as part of the conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines...

.

Over the next 80 years Grosseto was again occupied, ravaged, excommunicated by Pope Clement IV

Pope Clement IV

Pope Clement IV , born Gui Faucoi called in later life le Gros , was elected Pope February 5, 1265, in a conclave held at Perugia that took four months, while cardinals argued over whether to call in Charles of Anjou, the youngest brother of Louis IX of France...

, freed in a republic led by Maria Scozia Tolomei, besieged by emperor Louis IV

Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor

Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....

 and by the antipope Nicholas V

Antipope Nicholas V

Nicholas V, born Pietro Rainalducci was an antipope in Italy from 12 May 1328 to 25 July 1330 during the pontificate of Pope John XXII at Avignon. He was the last Imperial antipope, that is, set up by a Holy Roman Emperor.-Life:Rainalducci was born at Corvaro, an ancient stronghold near Rieti in...

 in 1328, until it finally submitted to its more powerful neighbour, Siena.

The pestilence of 1348 struck Grosseto hard and by 1369 its population had been reduced to some hundred families. Its territory, moreover, was frequently ravaged, notably in 1447 by Alfons V of Sicily and in 1455 by Jacopo Piccinino.

Sienese rule ended in 1559, when Charles V

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...

 handed over the whole duchy to Cosimo I de Medici, first Grand Duke of Tuscany. In 1574 the construction of a line of defensive walls was begun, which are still well preserved today, while the surrounding swampy plain was drained. Grosseto, however, remained a minor town, with only 700 inhabitants at the beginning of the 18th century.

Under the rule of the House of Lorraine, Grosseto flourished. It was given the title of capital of the new Maremma province.

The Medicean Walls

The walls were begun by Francesco I de Medici

Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany

Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany was the second Grand Duke of Tuscany, ruling from 1574 to 1587.- Biography :...

 in 1574, replacing those from the 12th-14th centuries, as part of his policy of making Grosseto a stronghold to protect his southern border. The design was by Baldassarre Lanci

Baldassarre Lanci

Baldassarre Lanci was an Italian architect, inventor, theatrical set designer, and master of perspective of the Renaissance period. Born in Urbino, he spent most of his working life in Tuscany.-Early career:...

, and the construction took 19 years, being completed under Grand Duke Ferdinand I

Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany

Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I.-Biography:...

. Until 1757 the exterior was surrounded by a ditch with an earthen moat. There were two main gates: Porta Nuova on the North and Porta Reale (now Porta Vecchia) on the South.

The walls are now used as a public park and walking area.

Cathedral

The Romanesque cathedral, the main monument of the city, is named for its patron St. Lawrence, and was begun at the end of the 13th century, by architect Sozzo Rustichini of Siena. Erected over the earlier church of Santa Maria Assunta, it was only finished in the 15th century (mainly due to the continuing struggles against Siena).

The façade of alternate layers of white and black marble is Romanesque

Romanesque architecture

Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...

 in style, but is almost entirely the result of 16th century and 1816–1855 restorations: it retains decorative parts of the originary buildings, including Evangelists' symbols. The layout consists of a Latin cross, with transept and apse. The interior has a nave with two aisles, separated by cruciform pilasters. The main artworks are a wondrously carved baptismal font from 1470–1474 and the Madonna delle Grazie by Matteo di Giovanni

Matteo di Giovanni

Matteo di Giovanni c. 1430 - 1495) was an Italian Renaissance artist from the Sienese school.-Biography:Matteo di Giovanni di Bartolo was born in Borgo Sansepolcro around 1430. His family relocated to Siena and he is firmly associated with the art of that city...

 (1470).

The campanile

Campanile

Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...

 (bell tower) was finished in 1402, and restored in 1911.

Churches in the city centre

• Church of San Francesco. Situated in the omonym square, it was built in the Middle Ages
  Middle Ages
  The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
  
  , and it was an important Benedectine convent, before moving to the Franciscans. The complex has undergone several restorations in later times: the bell
  Bell (instrument)
  A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
  
   was rebuilt in the first half of twentieth century. Very characteristic is the wooden tabernacle that stands on the front and inside there are works of art from various historical periods. At the center of the cloister stands the characteristic Pozzo della Bufala (Well of the Buffalo) in travertine
  Travertine
  Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
  
  ; another well is located in the square outside the church.
• Convent of Clarisse. Located on strada Vinzaglio, the convent is annexed to the Church of Bigi. The convent of Clarisse and the church of Bigi are now desecrated. The entire complex is characterized by the probable medieval origins, which was followed by a series of restorations in Baroque
  Baroque
  The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
  
   style in the seventeenth century. Today the convent hosts the Museolab Città di Grosseto and the university.
• Church of San Pietro. The oldest religious building in Grosseto, it was built along the stretch of the Via Aurelia
  Via Aurelia
  The Via Aurelia was a Roman road in Italy constructed around the year 241 BC. The project was undertaken by C. Aurelius Cotta, who at that time was censor...
  
   that crossed the center and was originally a plebeian and stational church along the old consular road.
• Church of Misericordia (20th century). It belonged to various religious orders during the following centuries, before moving on brotherhood in the early decades of the nineteenth century. In the past, there were several well-preserved works of art currently on display in the section on Sacred Art of the Museum of Archeology and Art of Maremma.

Churches outside the city walls

• Church of San Giovanni, built in the 12th century in the vicinity of the ancient salt mines in the Prile Lake.
• Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an imposing religious building built in a modern and functional style during the 20th century, it is located along via della Pace.
• Church of Medaglia Miracolosa, built in the early 20th century behind the Palazzo delle Poste in a neo-Romanesque style. It has a bell tower.
• Church of San Giuseppe, located in the western part of the urban area, it was built in the thirties of last century in neo-Romanesque style, divided into three naves. The capitals are adorned with very fine and decorative features.
• Church of San Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo, built on the eastern end of the urban area around the middle of last century, the style is neo-Romanesque, it is flanked by a bell tower and preceded by steps and a porch.
• Church of Maria Santissima Addolorata, built in the 1970s in the neighbourhood of Gorarella.
• Church of Santissimo Crocifisso, a modern church situated in an area called Cittadella dello Studente.
• Church of Santa Lucia, a modern church situated in the neighbourhood of Barbanella.
• Church of Mother Teresa, built in the 2000s and consacrated in 2006, it is situated in an area called Cittadella, on the northern part of the urban area.

Abbeys

• Abbey of San Rabano, at the southern end of the town of Grosseto in the heart of the Natural Park of Maremma
  Maremma
  The Maremma is a vast area in Italy bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea, consisting of part of south-western Tuscany - Maremma Livornese and Maremma Grossetana , and part of northern Lazio - Maremma Laziale .The poet Dante Alighieri in his Divina Commedia places the...
  
  . It was built in the Middle Ages as a Benedictine monastery, passed after the Order of the Knights of Jerusalem and it was finally abandoned in the 16th century.
• Abbey of San Pancrazio al Fango, situated between Grosseto and Castiglione della Pescaia
  Castiglione della Pescaia
  Castiglione della Pescaia is an ancient seaside town in the province of Grosseto , Italy. The modern city grew around a medieval fortress and a large fishery, from which it got its designation...
  
  , in the heart of Nature Reserve Diaccia Botrona, not far from the Fattoria della Badiola. The church, which is in the form of ruins, was built in the Middle Ages on a slight hill overlooking the surrounding wetlands, once occupied by Prile Lake near a building from Roman times.

Palazzi

Within the walls of Grosseto are the following buildings:

• Palazzo Aldobrandeschi
  Palazzo Aldobrandeschi
  Palazzo Aldobrandeschi is a palace in Grosseto, Italy. It is situated in Piazza Dante.-History:During the Middle Ages, it was the house of the Aldobrandeschi family. It was almost entirely rebuilt in the early 19th century by the architect Lorenzo Porciatti...
  
  . Of medieval origins, it was almost entirely rebuilt in the early 19th century. It is now a Neo-Gothic edifice with ogival mullioned windows and merlons in the upper part of the walls. It houses the seat of the province of Grosseto.
• Palazzo Comunale (Town hall), located on the north side of piazza Dante, to the left of the churchyard of the Cathedral. The building, of uncertain origin, was built in the neo Renaissance
  Renaissance
  The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
  
  , in the second half of 19th century.
• Episcopal Palace. It hosts the offices and the curia of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grosseto.
• Palace of the former Convent (15th century), originally used as an unidentified convent structure.
• Palace of Monte dei Paschi, built at the turn of the 20th century, it is a neo-Renaissance
  Neo-Renaissance
  Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...
  
   palace, with a large arms
  Coat of arms
  A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
  
   of the bank placed on its main façade.
• Cassero del Sale, built during the 14th century as the point of production, distribution and export of salt coming from the salt marshes that once existed along the coast. For several centuries has hosted, therefore, the Customs Officer to control all activities related to production and trade of salt.
• Former Misericordia Hospital, a complex on three levels from the 18th century. Now the building hosts the university center of Grosseto.
• Former Palace of Banca d'Italia. Overlooking the southern side of piazza Socci, along Corso Carducci, it was renovated in the early twentieth century to be the seat of the provincial Bank of Italy
  Bank of Italy
  Bank of Italy may refer to either :*Banca d'Italia is the central bank of Italy.*Bank of Italy was a bank established in San Francisco, California and the forerunner of Bank of America....
  
  , then transferred out of the walls of Grosseto in a more modern and complex building.
• Grand Hotel Bastiani, located in an impressive neoclassical style palace that facing on via Manin, with a short road that leads toward piazza Dante.
• Palace of the Old Court, seat of the Museum of Archeology and Art of Maremma since 1975, overlooking the south side of piazza Baccarini. The present building, formerly courthouse, was built in neo Renaissance
  Renaissance
  The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
  
   in the second half of 19th century replacing an existing building of medieval origin.
• Palazzo del Genio Civile, typical building located along Corso Carducci, it is adjacent to Palazzo Tognetti, which is in continuity with the right side. Built in the early 20th century, it shows fine decorations that recall both the neo-Renaissance and the Art Nouveau
  Art Nouveau
  Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
  
   style.
• Palazzo Chiarini, its present appearance dates back to the 17th century. The building has three levels, with round-arched entrance portal on the ground floor dominated by arms.
• Palazzo Tognetti, an Art Nouveau
  Art Nouveau
  Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
  
   style building on three levels located at an angle along Corso Carducci just before piazza Socci. The façade, richly decorated, spread over both tables.
• Palazzo Moschini, located in piazza Socci, it is a building of medieval origins, restored in the Renaissance and completely renovated during the 19th century. Currently, it houses the State Archives.
• Palazzo Morgantini, a landmark building built in the 20th century, it presents a trapezoidal shape, appearing between piazza del Sale, strada Ricasoli and via Mazzini.
• Palazzo Chiarini, located in via dell'Unione, its present appearance dates back to the 17th century. The building has three levels, with round-arched entrance portal on the ground floor dominated by arms.
• Palazzo Berti. Overlooking on Corso Carducci in the front of the Church of San Pietro, it is a stately and elegant building built on four levels. Built in the Middle Ages, its current appearance is due to restructurations in the second half of 19th century.
• Palazzo Cappelli, located along Corso Carducci to the right of the Church of San Pietro, it is presented in an attractive neoclassical
  Neoclassical architecture
  Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
  
   style.
• Palazzo Pallini, an art nouveau building of the early 20th century, it is located along Corso Carducci. Very valuable are the decorations that adorn the façade.
• Casa del Fascio, also known as the Palazzo Littorio, it was built during Fascism
  Fascism
  Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
  
   in the traditional architectural principles with the characteristic tower. In the past, it hosted the Casa del Fascio (Fascist House), but now it is headquarters of the Guardia di Finanza
  Guardia di Finanza
  The Guardia di Finanza is a Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. Like the Carabinieri, it is part of the Italian Armed Forces. The Guard is essentially responsible for dealing with financial crime and smuggling; it has also evolved into Italy's...
  
  .

Outside the walls of Grosseto are the following buildings:

• Villino Pastorelli, built between 1908 and 1913 by the architect Lorenzo Porciatti as the residence of the wealthy family of Millanta. The building was later owned by advocate Pastorelli, which retains the name. Purchased by the Banca Nazionale dell'Agricoltura after the war, suffered between 1948 and 1949 substantial changes, including the extension of the back.
• Villino Panichi, located in Piazza della Vasca on the corner of via IV Novembre, the building was built in early 20th century designed by the architect Lorenzo Porciatti whose name was given by the family who lived there originally.
• Villino Guastini, built in 1928 by the architect Pistelli and located on via Matteotti, it is an Art Nouveau
  Art Nouveau
  Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
  
   style house with a floor used as storage of agricultural machinery.
• Former Boarding School Magistrale, known as Scuola Media Giovanni Pascoli, located in Piazza della Vasca, it was built in 1923 by the engineer Giuseppe Luciani to accommodate boarding and a school.
• Palace of Post and Telegraphs, located on Piazza della Vasca, it was designed by the architect Angiolo Mazzoni
  Angiolo Mazzoni
  Angiolo Mazzoni was a prolific state architect and engineer of the Italian Fascist government of the 1920s and 1930s.Mazzoni designed hundreds of public buildings, post offices and train stations during the Interwar period in Italy...
  
   in 1930, as a symbol of Fascist architecture
  Fascist architecture
  Rationalist-Fascist architecture was an Italian architectural style developed during the fascism regime and in particular starting from the late 1920s. It was promoted and practiced initially by the Gruppo 7 group, whose architects included Luigi Figini, Guido Frette, Sebastiano Larco, Gino...
  
  .
• Government Palace, located on Piazza della Vasca.
• Multipurpose Palace, located on Piazza della Vasca, it is a multipurpose building designed by Ludovico Quaroni.

Theatres

• Teatro degli Industri, located along via Mazzini, just beyond the palace of the Grand Hotel Bastiani but on the side facing toward the walls of Grosseto, it is an old building rebuilt in 19th century. It is one of the main sites of the culture of Grosseto.
• Teatro Moderno, a modern theatre located outside the city walls.

Monuments

• Canapone Monument, a sculpture dedicated to the Grand Duke Leopold II of Lorraine, located in the center of Piazza Dante, at the spot where formerly stood a well-cistern for water.
• Roman column, located at the corner of the main façade and the side right side of the Cathedral, it was brought in Piazza Dante in Middle Ages
  Middle Ages
  The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
  
   from nearby Roselle
  Rusellae
  Rusellae was an ancient town of Etruria , which survived until the Middle Ages before being abandoned. The ruins lie in the modern frazione of Roselle in the comune of Grosseto.-Geography:...
  
   before its final abandonment.
• Unknown Soldier Monument, built in 1921, it is located along the walls, on the Rimembranza bastion. It honors the victims of World War I and World War II.
• Andrea da Grosseto Monument, made between 1973 and 1974 by sculptor Arnaldo Mazzanti, it is located in Piazza Baccarini, opposite the Archeological Museum, in honor of Andrea da Grosseto
  Andrea da Grosseto
  Andrea da Grosseto was an Italian writer of the 13th century.-Biography:Born in Grosseto in the first half of 1200, not much is known of his literary work and his life, except that he probably belonged to a family of shoe-makers named Bento and that he became a Franciscan friar in the church of San...
  
  , the distinguished scholar who in 1268 translated the Moral Treatises of Albertanus of Brescia
  Albertanus of Brescia
  Albertanus of Brescia , author of Latin social treatises and sermons.-Biography:...
  
   by providing a first example of Italian literary prose.
• Ettore Socci Monument, built in 1907 by Emilio Gallori in honor of Ettore Socci, a Republican, an honorary citizen and member of the College of Grosseto.
• Well of Spedale, made during the 15th century, it is located in Piazza San Francesco in front of the right lateral side of the Church of San Francesco.
• Well of Buffalo, located in the courtyard of the cloister of San Francesco, was built by the Medici
  Medici
  The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...
  
   to replace an existing well to supply water to the men who lived in the convent.
• Well of Fortezza, located in Piazza d'Armi inside the Fortezza bastion that surrounds the fortified Citadel, it was built in the 16th century for supply water of the guards stationed there.

Others

• The Etruscan site of Roselle
  Rusellae
  Rusellae was an ancient town of Etruria , which survived until the Middle Ages before being abandoned. The ruins lie in the modern frazione of Roselle in the comune of Grosseto.-Geography:...
  
  .
• Medieval buildings in the frazioni of Batignano
  Batignano
  Batignano is a small town in southern Tuscany, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto, positioned at about 10 km north-east of the capital on one of the last foot-hills of the valley of Ombrone which dominated the ancient city of Roselle....
  
  , Istia d'Ombrone
  Istia d'Ombrone
  Istia d'Ombrone is a small town in southern Tuscany, Italy, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto.-History:In the area surrounding the centre of Istia there have been found some ruins of ancient habitations dating back to the Etruscan era in the area of Poggio Cavallo.It was habitated also during...
  
   and Montepescali
  Montepescali
  Montepescali is a small town in southern Tuscany, Italy, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto.The site, from which the scenic panorama of the coastal strip and the Tuscan Archipelago up to Corsica can be seen, is also known as "Terrace or balcony of the Maremma".-History:The town was built in the...
  
  .
• Granducal villa of Alberese, built by the Knights Hospitaller
  Knights Hospitaller
  The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
  
   in the 15th century, and later used as residence by the Grand Dukes of Tuscany.

Literature

Andrea da Grosseto

Andrea da Grosseto

Andrea da Grosseto was an Italian writer of the 13th century.-Biography:Born in Grosseto in the first half of 1200, not much is known of his literary work and his life, except that he probably belonged to a family of shoe-makers named Bento and that he became a Franciscan friar in the church of San...

 was born in Grosseto in the first half of 1200. He is very important in Italian literature

Italian literature

Italian literature is literature written in the Italian language, particularly within Italy. It may also refer to literature written by Italians or in Italy in other languages spoken in Italy, often languages that are closely related to modern Italian....

, because he is considered the first writer in the Italian language

Italian language

Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

. Andrea da Grosseto translated from Latin the Moral Treaties of Albertano of Brescia, in 1268. His texts were written in the Italian language, without too many redundancies and constructions, words and typical ways of speech of the vernacular and the dialect. The writer intended to not utilise his own Grossetan dialect, but to use a general "Italian national language". In fact he twice refers to the vernacular which he uses defining it italico (Italic). So Andrea da Grosseto was the first to intend to use vernacular as a national unifying language from the North to the South of the entire Peninsula.

Cinema

Grosseto and Maremma have been settings for numerous works of fiction and movies, including the novels and associated films, such as The Easy Life

The Easy Life

The Easy Life is a 1962 Italian cult movie directed by Dino Risi. It is considered Risi's masterpiece and one of the most famous examples of Commedia all'italiana film genre.-Plot:...

 (1962) with Vittorio Gassman

Vittorio Gassman

Vittorio Gassman Knight Grand Cross OMRI , popularly known as Il Mattatore, was an Italian theatre and film actor and director...

; La vita agra (1964), from the omonym novel by Luciano Bianciardi

Luciano Bianciardi

Luciano Bianciardi was an Italian journalist, translator and writer of short stories and novels.-Works:*I minatori della Maremma, with Carlo Cassola, 1956*Il lavoro culturale, 1957*L'integrazione, 1960...

, with Ugo Tognazzi

Ugo Tognazzi

Ugo Tognazzi was an Italian film, TV, and theatre actor, director, and screenwriter.-Early life:Tognazzi was born in Cremona, in northern Italy but spent his youth in various localities as his father was a traveller clerk for an insurance company.After his return in the native city in 1936, he...

; An Ideal Place To Kill (1969) directed by Umberto Lenzi

Umberto Lenzi

Umberto Lenzi , is an Italian film director who was very active in low budget crime films, peplums, spaghetti westerns, war movies, cannibal films and giallo murder mysteries ....

; In viaggio con papà (1982), with Alberto Sordi

Alberto Sordi

Alberto Sordi, also known as Albertone, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian actor. He was also a film director and the dubbing voice of Oliver Hardy in the Italian version of the Laurel & Hardy films....

; Nothing Left to Do But Cry (1984), with Massimo Troisi

Massimo Troisi

Massimo Troisi was an Italian actor, film director, and poet. He is best known for his role as Mario Ruoppolo in the 1994 film Il Postino.- Early years and TV star :...

 and Roberto Benigni

Roberto Benigni

Roberto Remigio Benigni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter and director of film, theatre and television.- Early years :...

; It's Happening Tomorrow

It's Happening Tomorrow

It's Happening Tomorrow is a 1988 Italian comedy film directed by Daniele Luchetti. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Paolo Hendel - Lupo* Giovanni Guidelli - Edo* Margherita Buy - Vera...

 (1988); Viola bacia tutti (1997) with Asia Argento

Asia Argento

Aria Asia Anna Maria Vittoria Rossa Argento is an Italian actress, singer, model and director.-Family and early life:...

; The Talented Mr. Ripley

The Talented Mr. Ripley

The Talented Mr. Ripley is a psychological thriller novel by Patricia Highsmith. This novel first introduced the character of Tom Ripley who returns in the novels Ripley Under Ground, Ripley's Game, The Boy Who Followed Ripley and Ripley Under Water...

 with Matt Damon

Matt Damon

Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...

 and Jude Law

Jude Law

David Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...

; Emma sono io (2002); Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio

Pinocchio (2002 film)

Pinocchio is a 2002 Italian live-action family film directed by and starring Roberto Benigni. The film is based on The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi with Benigni portraying Pinocchio. It was shot in Italy and Kalkara, Malta...

; Manuale d'amore 3

Manuale d'amore 3

The Ages of Love is a 2011 Italian romantic comedy film composed of three episodes. It was directed by Giovanni Veronesi, and it is a sequel of Manuale d'amore and Manuale d'amore 2 – Capitoli successivi .-Plot:The film is composed of three episodes, each following a different...

 (2011) with Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...

 and Monica Bellucci

Monica Bellucci

Monica Anna Maria Bellucci is an Italian actress and fashion model.-Early life:Bellucci was born in Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy as the only child of Luigi Bellucci, who was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, East Pakistan...

; Swiss movie Summer Games

Summer Games (film)

Summer Games is a 2011 Swiss drama film written and directed by Rolando Colla. The film has been selected as the Swiss entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards.-Cast:* Fiorella Campanella as Marie* Armando Condolucci as Nic...

, and some Leonardo Pieraccioni

Leonardo Pieraccioni

Leonardo Pieraccioni is an Italian film director, actor, and screenwriter.Born in Florence, he made his directorial debut on Italian TV in 1995, directing I laureati...

's movies. Famous Italian actress Elsa Martinelli

Elsa Martinelli

Elsa Martinelli is an Italian actress and former fashion model.Born Elisa Tia in Grosseto, Tuscany, she moved to Rome with her family and in 1953 was discovered by Roberto Capucci who introduced her to the world of fashion. She became a model and began playing small roles in films...

 and actor Luigi Pistilli

Luigi Pistilli

Luigi Pistilli was an Italian actor of stage, screen, and television. In theater, he was considered one of the country's best interpreters of Bertolt Brecht's plays in The Threepenny Opera and St Joan of the Stockyards....

 were both born in Grosseto. Actress Laura Morante

Laura Morante

Laura Morante is an Italian film actress.She was born in Santa Fiora, province of Grosseto , and is the niece of renowned Italian novelist Elsa Morante.-Career:...

 was born in Santa Fiora

Santa Fiora

Santa Fiora is a comune in the Province of Grosseto, in the Italian region of Tuscany, located about 110 km southeast of Florence and about 40 km east of Grosseto...

, and director Umberto Lenzi

Umberto Lenzi

Umberto Lenzi , is an Italian film director who was very active in low budget crime films, peplums, spaghetti westerns, war movies, cannibal films and giallo murder mysteries ....

 in Massa Marittima

Massa Marittima

Massa Marittima is a town and comune of the province of Grosseto, southern Tuscany, Italy, 49 km NNW of Grosseto.There are mineral springs, mines of iron, mercury, lignite and copper, with foundries, ironworks and olive-oil mills...

, both in the province of Grosseto

Province of Grosseto

The Province of Grosseto is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Grosseto.-Geography:It has an area of 4,504 km², and a total population of 227.498...

.

Cuisine

Schiaccia alla pala (oven-baked bread

Focaccia

Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread, which may be topped with herbs or other ingredients. It is related to pizza, but not considered to be the same....

 with oil) and Schiaccia con cipolle e acciughe (oven-baked bread with onions and European anchovy) are typical breads of the city of Grosseto. Acquacotta is typical of Mount Amiata: it is a poor soup, and the main ingredients are artichokes, broccoli

Broccoli

Broccoli is a plant in the cabbage family, whose large flower head is used as a vegetable.-General:The word broccoli, from the Italian plural of , refers to "the flowering top of a cabbage"....

, cabbage

Cabbage

Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...

, beans, borage

Borage

Borage, , also known as a starflower, is an annual herb originating in Syria, but naturalized throughout the Mediterranean region, as well as Asia Minor, Europe, North Africa, and South America. It grows to a height of , and is bristly or hairy all over the stems and leaves; the leaves are...

, pisciacane (dandelion) and similar vegetables. The Maremmana cattle

Maremmana

thumb|A Maremmana cow.The Maremmana is a breed of cattle reared in the Maremma, a prairie region extending in western central Italy from southern Tuscany to northern Lazio, usually in the provinces of Grosseto and Viterbo respectively....

 is one of the two breeds used in the preparation of the florentine steak.

Notable residents

• Andrea da Grosseto
  Andrea da Grosseto
  Andrea da Grosseto was an Italian writer of the 13th century.-Biography:Born in Grosseto in the first half of 1200, not much is known of his literary work and his life, except that he probably belonged to a family of shoe-makers named Bento and that he became a Franciscan friar in the church of San...
  
   (13th century
  13th century
  As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 through 1300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era...
  
  ), writer and translator
• Luciano Bianciardi
  Luciano Bianciardi
  Luciano Bianciardi was an Italian journalist, translator and writer of short stories and novels.-Works:*I minatori della Maremma, with Carlo Cassola, 1956*Il lavoro culturale, 1957*L'integrazione, 1960...
  
   (1922-1971), novelist
• Jessica Brando
  Jessica Brando
  -Biography:Born on December 6, 1994 in Grosseto, Tuscany, Jessica started singing at the age of five, studying for her own fun on great singers from the past like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and many others....
  
   (1994), singer
• Carlo Cassola
  Carlo Cassola
  Carlo Cassola was an important Italian novelist and essayist. His novel La Ragazza di Bube , which received the Strega Prize, was adapted into a film by Luigi Comencini in 1963....
  
   (1917-1987), novelist
• Egisto Macchi
  Egisto Macchi
  Egisto Macchi was an Italian composer.Born in Grosseto, he made his musical studies in composition, piano, violin and singing in Rome. He died in Montpellier, France.-Sources:...
  
   (1928-1992), composer
• Elsa Martinelli
  Elsa Martinelli
  Elsa Martinelli is an Italian actress and former fashion model.Born Elisa Tia in Grosseto, Tuscany, she moved to Rome with her family and in 1953 was discovered by Roberto Capucci who introduced her to the world of fashion. She became a model and began playing small roles in films...
  
   (1935), actress
• Luigi Pistilli
  Luigi Pistilli
  Luigi Pistilli was an Italian actor of stage, screen, and television. In theater, he was considered one of the country's best interpreters of Bertolt Brecht's plays in The Threepenny Opera and St Joan of the Stockyards....
  
   (1929-1996), actor
• Alessandra Sensini
  Alessandra Sensini
  Alessandra Sensini is an Italian windsurfer. She is a 4-time Olympian, winning a gold medal and two additional bronze medals. She also won 3 gold and 2 silver medals at World Championships, as well as 3 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals at European Championships...
  
   (1970), windsurfer, winner of four medals in the Olympic Games (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008)

Subdivisions

The eight current administrative division

Administrative division

An administrative division, subnational entity, or country subdivision is a portion of a country or other political division, established for the purpose of government. Administrative divisions are each granted a certain degree of autonomy, and are required to manage themselves through their own...

s with their neighbourhoods:

Ward (Circoscrizione Circoscrizione Circoscrizione can refer to two different administrative units of Italy. One is an electoral district approximating to the English "constituency" but typically the size of a province or region depending on the election... )	President	Neighbourhoods (quartieri Quartiere A quartiere is a subdivision of certain Italian towns. The word is from quarto, or fourth, and was thus properly used only for towns divided into four neighborhoods. The English word "quarter" to mean a neighborhood A quartiere (plural: quartieri) is a subdivision of certain Italian towns. The...  and frazioni Frazione A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere... ) within ward
Circoscrizione 1 Barbanella	Gilberto Capanni	Barbanella · Tiro a Segno · Villaggio Sauro · Villaggio Azzurro · Verde Maremma · Le Gemme · Zona Industriale · Rugginosa · Grosseto Airport · Casotto dei Pescatori
Circoscrizione 2 Centro	Concetta Relli	Centro storico · Porta Vecchia · Porta Nuova · Alberino · Fornacione · Cittadella dello Studente · Sterpeto · Crespi · San Martino · Casalecci
Circoscrizione 3 Gorarella	Emanuel Cerciello	Gorarella · Oliveto · Stadio · Casalone · Villaggio Kennedy · Villa Pizzetti · Principina Terra Principina Terra Principina Terra is a small town in southern Tuscany, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto.The frazione is situated south-east of the capital, nearly half way between the residential centre and the coastal localities of Marina di Grosseto and Principina a Mare...
Circoscrizione 4 Pace	Elena Picchiotti	Pace · Cittadella · Sugherella · Europa · Villaggio Curiel · Commendone · Il Poggione
Circoscrizione 5 Alberese-Rispescia	Marcello Barontini	Alberese Alberese Alberese is a rural town in southern Tuscany, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto. It is situated 20 km south-east of the capital, in the heart of the Natural Park of Maremma...  · Rispescia Rispescia Rispescia, or Santa Maria di Rispescia, is a small town in southern Tuscany, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto, situated about 10 km south-east of the capital, right outside the Natural Park of Maremma, near the frazione of Alberese....  · Ottava Zona · Grancia · Valle Maggiore · Spergolaia
Circoscrizione 6 Marina	Luigino Brezzi	Marina di Grosseto Marina di Grosseto Marina di Grosseto is a famous tourist destination located twelve kilometers from Grosseto; it is an important seaside resort in Grossetan Maremma...  · Principina a Mare Principina a Mare Principina a Mare is a seaside resort, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto, in the homonym province.The centre, less populated during winter, is mainly made up of houses of holidaymakers, hotels of high standards and a campsite of medium standards...  · Il Cristo · Casotto Venezia
Circoscrizione 7 Braccagni-Montepescali	Patrizia Balestri	Braccagni Braccagni Braccagni is a modern frazione of the comune of Grosseto, positioned in the northern part of the communal territory, at the bottom of the hill of Montepescali....  · Montepescali Montepescali Montepescali is a small town in southern Tuscany, Italy, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto.The site, from which the scenic panorama of the coastal strip and the Tuscan Archipelago up to Corsica can be seen, is also known as "Terrace or balcony of the Maremma".-History:The town was built in the...  · Acquisti
Circoscrizione 8 Istia-Batignano-Roselle	Nicola Falco	Istia d'Ombrone Istia d'Ombrone Istia d'Ombrone is a small town in southern Tuscany, Italy, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto.-History:In the area surrounding the centre of Istia there have been found some ruins of ancient habitations dating back to the Etruscan era in the area of Poggio Cavallo.It was habitated also during...  · Batignano Batignano Batignano is a small town in southern Tuscany, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto, positioned at about 10 km north-east of the capital on one of the last foot-hills of the valley of Ombrone which dominated the ancient city of Roselle....  · Roselle Rusellae Rusellae was an ancient town of Etruria , which survived until the Middle Ages before being abandoned. The ruins lie in the modern frazione of Roselle in the comune of Grosseto.-Geography:...  · Nomadelfia · Le Stiacciole · Il Terzo

Alberese

Alberese, located 20 km south-east of the capital, is the heart of the Natural Park of Maremma

Maremma

The Maremma is a vast area in Italy bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea, consisting of part of south-western Tuscany - Maremma Livornese and Maremma Grossetana , and part of northern Lazio - Maremma Laziale .The poet Dante Alighieri in his Divina Commedia places the...

. The name is also extended to the surrounding rural areas which go from the first foothills of the hinterland hills to the sea through the northern slopes of the Uccellina Mountains.

Batignano

Of uncertain origins, Batignano developed in the Medieval period, around the castle which controlled the outlet of the road towards Siena

Siena

Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...

 on the plain of Grosseto and some lead and silver mines. It was a feud of the Aldobrandeschi and in 1213 belonged to Manto da Grosseto. In the 14th century, it then passed under the dominion of Siena, hosting many immigrants from Corsica

Corsica

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....

, and so in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany

Grand Duchy of Tuscany

The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...

. In 1738 it was reunited with the comune of Grosseto.

Braccagni

Once being simply an appendix of Montepescali, Braccagni is seen today more independently as it is believed to be the nodal point of the economy of the area. The railway station, the Aurelia

Via Aurelia

The Via Aurelia was a Roman road in Italy constructed around the year 241 BC. The project was undertaken by C. Aurelius Cotta, who at that time was censor...

, many activities which have developed in the last few years, new habitations, these have all created its new identity as a modern town, in continuous evolution.

Istia d'Ombrone

Istia d'Ombrone is a town situated about 3 km east of the capital. The center of Istia emerged as a fortified settlement along the valley of the river Ombrone

Ombrone

The Ombrone is a 160 km long river in Tuscany, central Italy.The Ombrone's source is located near Castelnuovo Berardenga, on the south-eastern side of the Monti del Chianti...

 and it was owned by the bishops of Roselle since 862.

Marina di Grosseto

Marina di Grosseto is a famous tourist destination located twelve kilometers from Grosseto; it is an important seaside resort in Maremma

Maremma

The Maremma is a vast area in Italy bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea, consisting of part of south-western Tuscany - Maremma Livornese and Maremma Grossetana , and part of northern Lazio - Maremma Laziale .The poet Dante Alighieri in his Divina Commedia places the...

. Once a fishing village, it is known for its hilly hinterland, rich in macchia and wide beaches overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea

Tyrrhenian Sea

The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....

, with a vast pine forest that extends from Punta Ala

Punta Ala

Punta Ala is a frazione of the town of Castiglione della Pescaia, in the province of Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy. It is a famous seaside resort which lies on the northern slopes of promontory of the same name.-History:...

 to Alberese.

Montepescali

Montepescali is a small town of medieval origins. The site, from which the scenic panorama of the coastal strip and the Tuscan Archipelago

Tuscan Archipelago

The Tuscan Archipelago is a chain of islands between the Ligurian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea, west of Tuscany, Italy.The archipelago contains the islands of Gorgona, Capraia, Elba , Pianosa, Montecristo, Giglio, and Giannutri; all of which are protected as part of the Tuscan Archipelago National...

 up to Corsica

Corsica

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....

 can be seen, is also known as "Terrace or balcony of the Maremma".

Principina a Mare

Principina a Mare is a seaside resort. The center, sparsely populated land in winter, consists primarily of houses of holidaymakers, hotels, high class and a camp category average. However, the location is quite popular due to its proximity to the mouth of the river Ombrone

Ombrone

The Ombrone is a 160 km long river in Tuscany, central Italy.The Ombrone's source is located near Castelnuovo Berardenga, on the south-eastern side of the Monti del Chianti...

 and the Natural Park of Maremma

Maremma

The Maremma is a vast area in Italy bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea, consisting of part of south-western Tuscany - Maremma Livornese and Maremma Grossetana , and part of northern Lazio - Maremma Laziale .The poet Dante Alighieri in his Divina Commedia places the...

.

Principina Terra

The village of Principina Terra is located south-west of the capital city, almost halfway between the city center and the seaside resorts of Marina di Grosseto and Principina a Mare. The area surrounding the village was washed from the shores of ancient Lake Prile.

Rispescia

Rispescia is a modern residential area, located about 10 km south-east of the capital, near the Natural Park of Maremma and the frazione

Frazione

A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...

 of Alberese.

Roselle

Roselle, in Latin Rusellae, now a municipal frazione of Grosseto, was once the main city in the area. Of Etruscan origin, it was built on a hill that offered protection and commanded all the nearby valley. The extent of its dominion is not clear, but probably at its peak included most of the Vetulonia

Vetulonia

Vetulonia, formerly called Vetulonium , was an ancient town of Etruria, Italy, the site of which is probably occupied by the modern village of Vetulonia, which up to 1887 bore the name of Colonnata and Colonna di Buriano: the site is currently a frazione of the comune of Castiglione della Pescaia,...

 territory. The city's splendour ended in 294 BCE, when, according to Livy

Livy

Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...

, the Roman Republic

Roman Republic

The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...

 conquered it. After the end of the Roman Empire, in the 5th century CE, Roselle was still the most important centre of what is now southern Tuscany. Its gradual decline began in 1138, when the diocesan seat was moved to Grosseto.

Etruscan

Etruscan civilization

Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...

 ruins had been discovered in Roselle, including cyclopean walls six kilometers in circumference, and sulphur baths, which in the last century were restored for medicinal uses. There was formerly an amphitheatre.

Trains

The city is crossed by the railway Pisa

Pisa

Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...

-Livorno

Livorno

Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...

-Roma

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

 connecting Genoa

Genoa

Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....

 to the capital and it is the point of arrival and departure of the branch line single track Grosseto-Monte Antico-Siena, where it continues north to Empoli

Empoli

Empoli is a town and comune in Tuscany, Italy, about 20 km southwest of Florence, to the south of the Arno in a plain formed by the latter river. The plain has been usable for agriculture since Roman times. The commune's territory becomes a hilly one as it departs from the river...

, Florence

Florence

Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....

, and east to Chiusi

Chiusi

Chiusi is a town and comune in province of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.-History:It was one of the more powerful among the Etruscan 12‑city confederation...

.

Here is the list of railway stations in the city of Grosseto:

• Grosseto Station, situated along the railway Pisa-Livorno-Roma, it is the terminus of Monte Antico-Siena-Grosseto. It is the main railway station of the city, which serves the city center and the urban area.
• Montepescali Station, located at the northern limits of the municipality, at the point of bifurcation between the Pisa-Livorno-Roma railway line and Siena-Monte Antico Grosseto.
• Alberese Station, located along the railway Pisa-Livorno-Roma to the southern limits of the municipal area.
• Rispescia Station, now disused, situated near the village of Rispescia
  Rispescia
  Rispescia, or Santa Maria di Rispescia, is a small town in southern Tuscany, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto, situated about 10 km south-east of the capital, right outside the Natural Park of Maremma, near the frazione of Alberese....
  
   and was a place of occasional stop for regional trains.

Buses

Local bus service in Grosseto is managed by Rama Mobilità. Intercity buses depart from the main bus station in Piazza Marconi. There are also several run bus services going from the city to Florence, Siena and other cities in Tuscany.

Port

The city has a modern tourist dock opened in 2004 in the seaside resort of Marina di Grosseto

Marina di Grosseto

Marina di Grosseto is a famous tourist destination located twelve kilometers from Grosseto; it is an important seaside resort in Grossetan Maremma...

, at the mouth of the Canal St. Rocco. For passenger traffic in the medium range, the port reference is Porto Santo Stefano

Porto Santo Stefano

Porto Santo Stefano is located in the municipality of Monte Argentario, in the Province of Grosseto, in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is one of the 2 major towns that form the townships along with Porto Ercole.-Position:...

 (40 km), with ferry only for the island of Giglio

Giglio Island

Isola del Giglio is an island and Italian comune situated in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the coast of Tuscany, part of the Province of Grosseto.-Geography:...

 and Giannutri

Giannutri

Giannutri is a small island in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the most southerly island of the Tuscan Archipelago and a frazione of the comune of Isola del Giglio....

.

Airport

Grosseto and the Maremma are served by the Baccarini Airport, located midway between the capital and Marina di Grosseto

Marina di Grosseto

Marina di Grosseto is a famous tourist destination located twelve kilometers from Grosseto; it is an important seaside resort in Grossetan Maremma...

. The infrastructure is a military airport which is also used as a commercial airport by civilian charter flights and private aircraft.

With regard to domestic and international flights, the airports of reference are the Airport of Florence

Peretola Airport

Peretola Airport, Florence Airport or Amerigo Vespucci Airport is an airport located close to Florence, Italy, but administratively located within the territory of Sesto Fiorentino...

, Pisa

Galileo Galilei Airport

-Accidents and incidents:On 23 November 2009, Italian Air Force Lockheed KC-130J Hercules MM62176 of the based 46 Aerobrigata crashed just after take-off. All five crew were killed.-External links:*...

 and Fiumicino. All three airports are located about 150 km from the capital of the Maremma

Maremma

The Maremma is a vast area in Italy bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea, consisting of part of south-western Tuscany - Maremma Livornese and Maremma Grossetana , and part of northern Lazio - Maremma Laziale .The poet Dante Alighieri in his Divina Commedia places the...

.

Sports

Grosseto has enjoyed a long tradition in sports. Baseball and football are perhaps the most popular in Grosseto. However, other sports such as American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

, cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

, horse racing

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 and athletics are also widely practised.

The premier society of men's baseball in Grosseto is called Bbc Grosseto Orioles

Montedeipaschi Grosseto

Bbc Grosseto Orioles are a baseball team in Serie A1, Italy's professional baseball league. Their main sponsor is Monte dei Paschi di Siena....

 (also referred to by its sponsored name of Montedeipaschi). Montedeipaschi Grosseto participates in the highest level of play in Italy, Serie A1

Serie A1 (baseball)

The Italian Baseball League is a professional baseball league that is governed by FIBS , which has its headquarters in Rome...

, and it won the national championship in 1986, 1989, 2004 and 2007. The team won the European Cup

European Cup (baseball)

The European Cup is an annual baseball tournament, sanctioned and created by the Confederation of European Baseball . The tournament features the top teams of the professional baseball leagues in Europe....

 in 2005. Montedeipaschi Grosseto hosts his home games at Stadio Roberto Jannella.

The Unione Sportiva Grosseto Football Club was founded in 1912. It has participated in the National Championship of Soccer in Serie B

Serie B

Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...

 (the second level of the Italian soccer leagues) since the 2007–2008 season. The football club U.S. Grosseto hosts its games at the Stadio Carlo Zecchini

Stadio Carlo Zecchini

Stadio Olimpico Carlo Zecchini is a multi-use stadium in Grosseto, Italy. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of U.S. Grosseto F.C.. The stadium holds 10,200....

.

Other important teams are the Maremma Cricket Club (Serie A) and American Football Condor Grosseto (Serie B).

Horse racing

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 is of considerable importance, with several races throughout the year that, in summer, often taking place at night. The sports facility where are played the various races is the hippodrome Casalone, located in the south of the city, at the beginning of the road that leads to Principina a Mare

Principina a Mare

Principina a Mare is a seaside resort, a frazione of the comune of Grosseto, in the homonym province.The centre, less populated during winter, is mainly made up of houses of holidaymakers, hotels of high standards and a campsite of medium standards...

.

The city is also a major center for athletics: Stadio Carlo Zecchini

Stadio Carlo Zecchini

Stadio Olimpico Carlo Zecchini is a multi-use stadium in Grosseto, Italy. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of U.S. Grosseto F.C.. The stadium holds 10,200....

 has in fact hosted the European Junior Championships

European Athletics Junior Championships

The European Athletics Junior Championships are the European championships open for those of age. The IAAF defines Junior as athletes who are 19 years of age or under. It is currently organized by the European Athletic Association....

 in 2001 and World Junior Championships

IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics

The IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics are the world championships for junior aged athletes athletes, organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It is held biennially since 1986.-Championships:-Men:-Women:-External links:* at...

 in 2004.

Grosseto in 2006 was also the headquarters of the World Military Fencing Championships.

Twin towns — Sister cities

Grosseto is twinned

Town twinning

Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

 with:

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Narbonne Narbonne Narbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea... , France Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is the capital of the Camargue in the south of France. It is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department by the Mediterranean Sea. Population: 2,478... , France Imperiale Contrada della Giraffa of Palio Palio di Siena The Palio di Siena is a horse race that is held twice each year, on July 2 and August 16, in Siena, Italy...  of Siena Siena Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008... , Italy

Sources and external links

• Grosseto -Catholic Encyclopedia
  Catholic Encyclopedia
  The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
  
  article
• Official website
• About Grosseto