Introduction to Massa Marittima

70km (43 miles) S of Volterra; 65km (40 miles) SW of Siena; 115km (71 miles) SW of Florence; 230km (143 miles) NW of Rome

Massa Marittima, sitting stately atop its 356m (1,168-ft.) mount with a sweeping view over the farmland far below and Metalliferous Hills beyond, is an Etruscan grandchild. It's a medieval mining town that's heir to ancient Pupolónia, now little more than fragmentary remains 64km (40 miles) away on the coast. When St. Cerbone moved his bishop's seat here in the 9th century, he kicked off Massa's Middle Ages prosperity, based on mining the metal-rich hills around it. It established a republic in 1225 and grew fat on mine proceeds -- unfortunately attracting the attentions of the nearby Sienese.

In 1335, Siena attacked and subdued Massa, taking the upper half of town and fortifying it as their Città Nuova (New Town). In its heyday, the city produced both religious heritage (St. Bernardine of Siena was born and died here) and civic legacy. (The first mining code in European history was drawn up here in the 14th c., one of the most important legislative documents from the Middle Ages.)

Today, Massa is an overlooked gem of the western Tuscan hill towns. The Germans are the only ones who come in droves in the summer, but aside from them, the fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, and the occasional bike tour whizzing through, Massa and its gorgeous cathedral lie empty for exploration.