The road which winds through the green heart of the Costa degli Etruschi from Livorno
to the edge of the Grosseto Maremma constitutes the route for a journey in close harmony
with the sunny nature of this land.
Travelling along the horseback trail is an experience which involves above all the senses.
The Costa degli Etruschi, where asphalt and traffic do not exist, is a privileged
world where time cannot be hurried and speed is an unknown word.
Salty winds are tempered by the Mediterranean scrub; shrubs and leaves give off scented
oils and resins, making the air aromatic. Travelling slowly is the best way to appreciate
the surrounding environment and the wonderful views offered along the trail.
Much of the route travels along ridges overlooking the blue of the sea and the outlines
of islands, as well as the rolling terrain which characterizes the hinterland. Stretches of
high ground alternate with moments of total immersion in the vegetation.
Light and shadows accompany horse and rider through the beauty of a spacious, bright
country landscape, cooled and protected by ancient holm-oak woods.
White roads and country lanes cross rivers and lead to natural reserves and historic places.
The horseback trail combines the many aspects of the Costa degli Etruschi: at certain
moments it is like riding far from the man-made world in an undefined time. In reality,
the fabric of society in this corner of Tuscany is only ever a short way away: a short
detour and you'll find yourself among the ancient stones of Medieval villages where
olive pressing and harvests are regular events. The journey can provide many such
enjoyable moments - from a simple snack of pecorino cheese with DOC wines to a real
gastronomic feast.
This then, is a very varied route which reveals the aspects of a harmonious land which
has been well-documented in the paintings of the Macchiaioli School, where the natural
environment is well integrated with man's activities. Evidence of man's presence is
easily seen in the land sculpted with vineyards, olive groves and great expanses of
grain, but above all in the stones.
Beginning with the structures of the nineteenth-century neo-classical Leopoldian
Aqueduct, which are fascinating when they are seen in the dense Colognole woods -
the great hydraulic engineering works blend in perfectly and even embellish a natural
environment of great merit. The sober, unspoilt nature of the Livorno Hills is at its most
authentic in the towns along the horseback trail; Gabbro, Nibbiaia and Castelnuovo
Misericordia seem to turn their backs on the “far off” Livorno, living the isolation of hill
towns and breathing the sea air.
The medieval castle at Rosignano Marittimo is a point of reference that guides horses
and riders towards the interior to the green lung of the Macchia della Magona, a protected
oasis where all the aspects of an untouched, wild environment can be experienced.
The vineyards of Montescudaio are just the overture to a crescendo of blue-blooded
wines. The horseback trail crosses the well-known terroir of Bolgheri, where Sassicaia,
Ornellaia and other noble labels are produced.
At Castagneto Carducci we go back into the dense scrub and enter the atmosphere of
the Metal-bearing Hills. For a while we no longer breathe the sea air, but it is just a question
of time until we follow the gentle slopes of the wide Val di Cornia where the Middle
Ages live on among the stones of Suvereto and Campiglia Marittima and where we can
eat in convivial company with glasses of Val di Cornia DOC wines.
The horseback trail comes within sight of the sea again, and in the peace of the
Montioni Park reaches the start of the Grosseto Maremma trails.
Photo by: APT Costa degli Etruschi archive, Enrico Caracciolo, Roberto Branchetti.
|
|
