Grosseto is the capital<\/strong> of the Province of Grosseto and lies approximately 12 km from the sea, at the centre\u00a0of an alluvial plain, on the Ombrone river<\/strong>. Grosseto became over the centuries an important center for its\u00a0military and trade activities<\/strong>. In 1559<\/strong> Cosimo I de’ Medici<\/strong> projected new defenses for the city, that was an important warehouse for grain\u00a0<\/strong>and salt<\/strong>. The domination of the Medici family lasted until it was substituted by the Lorena one. Under the\u00a0Lorena<\/strong> family domination Grosseto flourished again, especially with Leopold II<\/strong>, who showed to care about\u00a0the city with the first reclamation of the area and the defeat of malaria<\/strong>, which for centuries had plagued the\u00a0entire Ombrone valley, and the conversion of the walkways along the walls in public gardens<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The historical center has monuments<\/strong> of great interest<\/strong>. Masterpiece is the Cathedral, which was begun in\u00a01294 by the senesi and finished only in the 15th century. To be admired, among other, the marvelous Madonna\u00a0<\/strong>of the Graces<\/strong> of Matteo di Giovanni.<\/p>\n The Saint Francis Church<\/strong> has been built in 1289<\/strong> by the Franciscan<\/strong> on the Benedictine monastery ruins<\/strong>,\u00a0abandoned by the monks escaping from malaria.\u00a0Behind its gothic fa\u00e7ade hides a kiosk and a cross which\u00a0passes the Altar designed by Duccio di Boninsegna<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The oldest Saint Peter Church<\/strong> in Corso Carducci is also very interesting. An unforgettable experience is the\u00a0nice promenade along the walls. During the summer you can also reach out the fortress opened for cultural\u00a0events.<\/p>\n Piazza Dante<\/strong> is the main square from the 15th century in Grosseto and hosts the Canapone monument<\/strong>, a\u00a0sculpture dedicated to the Grand Duke Leopold II of Lorraine<\/strong> located in the centre of the square: a woman\u00a0representing the afflicted Maremma and trampling on a grass-snake which symbolizes the malaria from\u00a0which the Grand Duke saved the Maremma (the woman) and her children (the citizens).<\/p>\n [vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” padding_top=”30″][vc_column][vc_text_separator title=”Activities and attractions in Grosseto” border=”no”][vc_separator type=”transparent” down=”10″][vc_column_text]
\nThe origins of Grosseto can be searched to the 9th century<\/strong>; the castellum<\/em> of Grosseto from 12th to 14th century\u00a0has been powered to the Aldobrandeschi<\/strong>, then started in 1259<\/strong> the Sienese<\/strong> domination with the construction\u00a0of a tall keep or ‘mastio’ called cassero. After the definitive domination by Siena, Grosseto became an\u00a0important stronghold with the four-sided walls<\/strong> built between 1337 and 1350, and in\u00a01540 reinforcing structures \u2014 or “bastions<\/strong>“\u2014 were added.<\/p>\nThe Medici and the Lorena<\/h3>\n
The historical center of Grosseto<\/h3>\n
Leopold II and Grosseto<\/h3>\n