Colline e Morellino

The hilly area of the Maremma, in particular that of the municipalities of Magliano in Toscana and Scansano, is famous for the production of the internationally renowned Morellino DOCG wine produced right here, in the heart of the Tuscan Maremma.

Magliano in Toscana

Magliano in Toscana is one of the most fascinating villages of the Tuscan Maremma, one of the few still completely surrounded by walls. The village rises in the north-western territories of the Colline dell’Albegna and of the Fiora, near Scansano, Manciano and Orbetello.

There are plenty of attractions here from the aforementioned city walls to the Abbey of San Bruzio, passing through to the churches, historic buildings and archaeological areas. Part of the municipal territory is included in the Maremma National Park.

The territory on which the village of Magliano rises in Tuscany has been inhabited since the Etruscan era. The ancient necropolis of Heba dates back to this period and is located near the Tuscan city. The Etruscan settlements were transformed into villages in Roman times.

In the Middle Ages, Magliano was ruled by the Aldobrandeschi and in 1274 the town became part of the County of Santa Fiora, under the control of the Aldobrandeschi family.

From the fourteenth century until the second half of the sixteenth century, Magliano in Toscana was a possession of the Republic of Siena. At the end of the 1500s, the city passed to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, under the control of the Medici family.

What to see in Magliano in Toscana

The Church of San Giovanni Battista, of Romanesque origin has some interesting Gothic and Renaissance elements. The interior of the church has a single nave, you can admire some frescoes made between the XV and the XVI century, of the Sienese school, also interesting a baptismal font in travertine, from 1493, and a tabernacle dating from the XIII century.

The Pieve di San Martino was a sacred building certainly prior to the 13th century. The facade is a beautiful example of Romanesque art. The interior is decorated with 16th century frescoes.

The Church of the Santissima Annunziata is located outside the walls of Magliano in Toscana, it is a simple sacred building with a single nave and its interior is enriched with some precious works, including some frescoes from the 14th to the 16th century, a table depicting the Madonna nursing the Child, made by Neroccio of Bartolomeo de’Landi and an altarpiece depicting the Sacred Conversation, from the Sienese school, dating back to the 16th century.

The Abbey of San Bruzio rises in the countryside of Magliano in Tuscany, along the road that leads to the nearby village of Sant’Andrea. The sacred building was built by the Benedictine monks in the year one thousand and was finished at the end of the following century. Today, some ruins of the apse, east-facing walls, the transept and arches remain from the original structure.

The Palazzo del Podestà, also known as Palazzo dei Priori, was built in 1425 as the official residence of the captain of the people Pietro Salimbeni Benassai and served as the residence of the priors for many centuries.

Built in the early 1300s, the Checco il Bello Palace was originally the residence of the Monaldeschi family, originally from Orvieto and also hosted the Aldobrandeschi family. In the early 1900s, the name of the building was inhabited by a certain Francesco Salvi, nicknamed Checco il Bello. The structure of the building follows the Sienese Gothic style of the 1300s, particularly interesting are the mullioned windows, the travertine frames and the Monaldeschi family crest.

The walls of Magliano in Toscana still surround all the ancient inhabited area and it is one of the most beautiful in the region. Its construction dates back to the late medieval period, when a first curtain wall was erected around the already existing Rocca Aldobrandesca. The walls have arrived practically intact up to the present day. The walls consist of stone curtains, with 9 sighting towers and 3 access doors (Porta di San Giovanni, Porta di San Martino and Porta Nuova).

Around the town there are some important archaeological areas, the main ones being the Necropolis of Sassone, the Necropolis of the Cancellone and the Necropolis of Santa Maria in Borraccia, dated VII-VI century BC.

Scansano

Famous all over the world for its Morellino DOCG, extraordinary Maremman red wine, Scansano is one of the best known and loved villages in Tuscany. It rises in the Colline area of the Albegna and Fiora rivers, near the municipalities of Manciano, Roccalbegna and Campagnatico.

The territory of Scansano, due to its particular conformation and strategic position, has been inhabited since ancient times, in fact Etruscan and Roman settlements are documented in the areas of Ghiaccio Forte and Aia Nova. The first documents that attest to the existence of the country date back to 918. The medieval period sees the construction of many castles, in particular those of Montepò, Cotone and Montorgiali.

In 1274, the city was the object of disputes between the Aldobrandeschi and the Tolomei, a noble Sienese family. In 1418, the city became part of the Sforza county following the marriage between Bosio Sforza and Cecilia Aldobrandeschi. A period of great growth began for Scansano, a period that culminated in 1500 with a great increase in the population and a consequent development of the urban area. In 1615, the city was sold to Cosimo I de’ Medici, becoming de facto part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Starting from 1780, Scansano also became a vice-capital. Grosseto stood in a marshy area and in summer there was a strong risk of getting malaria, which is why in the summer period all public offices of the capital they were closed and transferred to Scansano.

What to see in Scansano

Certainly the Church of San Giovanni Battista, built prior to 1276, almost completely rebuilt in the 1700s. The interior is decorated with some paintings, including a Madonna giving the Child to Sant’Anna, dating back to 1600, a painting depicting the Martyrdom of San Sebastiano, by Stefano Volpi and a fifteenth-century polychrome frame.

The Church of the Madonna delle Grazie is located outside the walls of Scansano, and stands on the site of a chapel dedicated to the Madonna delle Grazie. The building was damaged during the flood of 1862 and was rebuilt in a neoclassical style designed by the architect Luigi Vannuccini.

The historic buildings of Scansano are those of the Pretorio, built in 1400 as a civic palace and in 1800 also used as a prison and the Palazzo del Vecchio Ospedale, also from the 1400s, today a private residence.

The Castagnoli Theater was instead created between 1852 and 1891, the works were financed by the Notary Filippo Castagnoli and became one of the main theatres of the whole province of Grosseto.

Morellino di Scansano DOCG

The winemaking tradition in the Maremma, and in particular in Scansano, has very ancient origins. In fact in the Etruscan age, the vine was one of the most important cultivations. When the territory of Scansano was conquered by the Romans, the production of wine was increased. A testimony to this is a shipwreck, found not far from Marseilles, of numerous amphorae with the letters SES, first of the powerful roan family of the Sesti, who were owners of the ancient city of Cosa, in Ansedonia. During the medieval period, the Maremma experienced a period of crisis that also affected wine production, which survived only in some areas. Only at the end of the XVIIIth century, when Scansano became the site of the summer government, did a flourishing wine production emerge. The name “Morellino” derives from the Morelli horses, used to the transport public officials and their families in the summer months from Grosseto to Scansano.

Today the Morellino di Scansano is an excellence of the Tuscan Maremma, produced in the territories of the province of Grosseto, in the municipalities of Scansano and around Manciano, Magliano in Toscana, Roccalbegna, Campagnatico and Grosseto. It boasts the coveted DOCG recognition, with the Ministerial Decree of 14 November 2006.

Specification:

85% Sangiovese and maximum 15% other vines from the Tuscan Region (Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Malvasia, Colorino, Alicante, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet).

Production 90 quintals per hectare.

All the vinification phases are found in the area where the grapes are produced.

Organoleptic characteristics:

Ruby red color
Vinous odour with a fruity note
Dry and slightly tannic flavour

Scansano and its wine
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