Something Interesting

about La Maremma,,,cyclamens grow wild. I have never been anywhere where I have seen wild cyclamen ( tubers).

We stopped to have lunch in Sovana and the man kept me waiting and waiting for so long. I wasn't the only one that was doing a small burn. There was a man bringing out dishes for his family, one by one, every 10 minutes. I finally said, forget it!!!!

and I had my place in Scansano in mind....and it was perfect. It is also the center for a wine I really like, Morellino.

Morellino di Scansano

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sangiovese

Morellino di Scansano DOCG is an Italian red wine made in the hilly environs of the village of Scansano, GR, in the Maremmaregion of coastal Tuscany, which has an ancient but obscure tradition of winemaking. Morellino is the local name for theSangiovese grape variety. Many people think that the name Morellino comes from morello (brown), the colour of the region's horses. The name may also come from the morello cherry, a dark red cherry with great tartness and acidity. The wine, which was granted DOC status in 1978, then upgraded to DOCG status beginning with the 2007 vintage, is made from at least 85% Sangiovese, which is also the basis of the Tuscan wines Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The remaining 15% can comprise any non-aromatic black grape varieties included in a list made and periodically updated by Tuscan wine authorities.

Appellation requirements[edit]

Morellino di Scansano does not need to age in wood and can be released in March after harvest, meaning that it can be found on the shelf at less than 8 months old, thus a fresh and crisp wine.

Morellino di Scansano Riserva can be released on 1 January two years after the harvest, at least one of which it has to age in wood.

Enoteca Dei Mille

Some Maremma Snaps

What a beautiful place. It's so lovely in fall and in the spring. It is a bit undiscovered so a great location.

Terme di Saturnia

Saturnia (Italian: [sa'turnja]) is a spa town in Tuscany in north-central Italy that has been inhabited since ancient times. It is a frazione of the comune of Manciano, in the province of Grosseto. Famous for the homonym spa.

Saturnia takes its name from the Roman god Saturn (or Saturnus). Legend has it that he grew tired of the constant wars of humans, and sent a thunderbolt to earth that created a magic spring of warm sulphurous water which would pacify mankind.

Dionysius of Halicarnassus lists Saturnia as one of the towns first occupied by the Pelasgi and then by the Etruscan civilization. A Roman colony arrived in 183 BC, but little is known about it other than the fact that it was a prefecture. There are still remains of the city walls, in the polygonal style, which contain Roman gateways. Roman remains have also been discovered within the town, and remains of tombsoutside. These tombs were originally covered by tumuli, which have now disappeared, so that George Dennis, author ofCities and Cemeteries of Etruria, mistook them for megalithicremains.

In 1300, Saturnia became the hideout of outlaws and was razed to the ground by the Sienese. Forgotten for several centuries, Saturnia was rediscovered in the late 19th century when the land around the spring was drained and a spa built. Thousands of visitors come to bathe in the waters to this day.

I am not very keen on this place....I don't like the idea of all of these people scantily clad sitting around in smelly pools. Call me crazy.

Sorano Italy in La Maremma

A bit of a gloomy day, mixed light.

Sorano was probably inhabited by Villanovan culture, but the first historical mentions are relative to the 3rd century BC, when it was an Etruscan city under the influence of the more populous nearby Sovana.

Disappearing from history under the Roman domination, it is again known in 862 when a county was founded by Emperor Louis II, under the Aldobrandeschi suzerainty. The Aldobrandeschi were the most powerful feudataries of southern Tuscany for more than four centuries, disappearing in 1312 when Margherita, son of Ildibrandino, died without male heirs. His daughter Adelaide married to Romano di Gentile Orsini, who added the city to the family fiefs.

The county of Pitigliano-Sorano fought against the Republic of Siena, but was forced to accept its suzerainty from 1417. It regained a full independence in 1556, when the latter was annexed to theDuchy of Tuscany. The fortress, due to its strategic position, was frequently attacked; it was also the seat of fratricidal fights between the Orsini. In 1604, with the death of Alessandro di Bertoldo, it became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

It became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1860.