Ansedonia

13 Jan Ansedonia

On the Puccini notes

After 1919 the Tuscan composer Giacomo Puccini lived here for many years in the historical complex of the Medieval Tower, also know as the Puccini Tower, an historical landmark in this area directly on the beach.

The Tagliata and the Spaccato of the Queen

The Ansedonia Beach, with its dark sand and its extraordinary marine landscape populated by coral reefs, fish and a vegetation variety, is characterized by two elements of great historical interest. Ansedonia Beach is not only famous for the Puccini Tower, but also for two important hydraulic engineering operas: the socalled Tagliata Etrusca (Etruscan cut), a drainage channel cut through the tuff. This expedient consists of an artificial canal dug into the rock, for a length of more than 80 meters. The interior of the Tagliata can be visited today, crossing over a little bridge over the modern canal.
The channel was designed not only to prevent the silting-up of the ancient harbor but also to drain the lowlying hinterland and preserve the little Burano Lake. On the water’s edge is a large cavity in the rock known as the Spacco of Bagno della Regina (Queen’s Bath). It is in fact part of the drainage works.

Ansedonia: the neverland village

Ansedonia is a particularly village entirely made up of beautiful villas and cottages high on a hill above the coast. Ansedonia flourished in the 50’s, with well-known architects of the time designing villas for the rich and famous mostly in the mass-media circuit.

 Ansedonia and its ancients villas

There are many places of a high archeological and historical interest on the promontory, which marks the south-eastern border of the territory of Orbetello: above Ansedonia lie the ruins of sumptuous Roman villas from the I- II A.C and the ruins of the Roman city of “Cosa”. Today is one of the most exclusive tourist locations of Tuscany, for those who want to live a peaceful holiday in contact with nature.

How to get to Ansedonia

Direction south on the SS1-Aurelia, exit at Grosseto just 10 km before Capalbio, take exit Ansedonia South and from there follow the signs to the village.