“Via delle città Etrusche” (Etrurian cities) trail

The new frontier of slow and sustainable tourism in Maremma is called “Via delle città Etrusche”, a series of routes that will run for 173 km on the Colline Metallifere (Metalliferous Hills) and will be linked to the Etruscan cities of Vetulonia, Roselle, Populonia and Volterra and the rest of the cultural itineraries of the Tuscany Region thanks to the recovery of ancient roads immersed in nature. This ambitious project, full of opportunities, has come to fruition after intense work by the Metalliferous Hill National Park, which acted as the technical reference point, and the eight municipalities involved: Roccastrada as leading city, followed by Castiglione della Pescaia, Follonica, Gavorrano, Massa Marittima, Monterotondo Marittimo, Montieri and Scarlino.

Thanks to funding from the Region of Tuscany amounting to 80,000 euro (the “Etruscan Itineraries” call), plus 20,000 euro from the Parco Nazionale delle Colline Metallifere, work will begin in spring 2021 on the restoration and recovery of the paths and the entire road system, as well as the creation of signage. All these interventions will be completed by 2022. In the photo an image of the presentation held in summer 2020.

The strong point of the project is to create a network of tourist trails linking southern Etruria with northern Etruria and the hinterland. This will be possible by making a series of existing routes accessible to travellers on foot, horseback or bicycle, linking the various historical and environmental sites of the Metalliferous Hills with the ancient Etruscan cities and the system of Historical Routes and Cultural Itineraries of the Region of Tuscany such as the Via Clodia and the Via Francigena. The routes have been chosen taking into account the evolution of settlements and the transformation of the landscape and will be adapted to the needs of the tourist development of the area and the presence of public roads.

There is a strong need to include the historic centres within these itineraries, elevating them to the role of intermediate stages in order to make the most of the still inhabited medieval villages in a development process linked to slow tourism. In addition to linking Vetulonia and Roselle, the main Etruscan settlements of the Metalliferous Hills are also connected (Etruscan furnaces for reducing iron at Rondelli – Follonica, Etruscan necropolis of San Germano, Etruscan necropolis of Santa Teresa, Etruscan necropolis of Poggio Tondo, Etruscan settlement of Lago dell’Accesa, ancient copper and silver mines of Serrabottini – Fenice Capanne, ancient copper and silver mines of Montieri).