Caldana among Marble, Churches and the Maremma

Caldana between the Hills and the Maremma

Caldana stretches across the last Metalliferous Hills before the Maremma plain. In the town, sacred buildings, the Austini Palazzo signorile and the visible traces of natural-stone extraction come together.

Natural Stone with a Visible History

Northwest of Caldana, the Cave “Marmo Rosso” di Caldana quarries are still clearly visible. Natural-stone extraction continued there until 1975. In Caldana, the pink ornamental stone known as Portasanta was extracted from at least the 16th century onward. Caldana marble was also used for numerous architectural monuments in the Province of Grosseto, as well as in Pisa, Siena, Florence, Rome and Berlin. Thus, the significance of this material extends from the landscape traces left by the quarries to buildings in several Italian cities and in Berlin.

Churches and Architectural Heritage in the Town

At the end of the borgo stands the Oratorio di Sant'Antonio, a small church dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua. The Casa Canonica dates from the 13th century. It was the former Pieve di San Biagio, the town's old church, before the Tempio di San Biagio was built at the end of the 16th century.

The Austini Palazzo signorile dates from the 16th century and was the old palace of the Austini family, the lords of the castle. In the convent, the entrance door and the corridor of the upper cells have been preserved as unchanged elements. Together, these two pieces of architectural heritage complement the sacred history with traces of former rule and monastic use.

The Church of San Biagio in Caldana has a façade with Ionic pilasters in the upper section and Doric pilasters in the lower section, as well as a central rose window. Inside is a baptismal font made of Portasanta marble. In this way, the pink stone extracted in Caldana can also be experienced as part of a sacred detail.

The treasures of the church are displayed in showcases in the Sepolcro. Together with the façade of San Biagio, the baptismal font and the Oratorio di Sant'Antonio, they create a varied picture of Caldana's religious architectural and artistic heritage.

Destinations around Caldana

The surroundings of Caldana are home to the ruins of the Abbazia di San Bartolomeo a Sestinga, the Rocca Pisana fortress and the Portus Scabris Museum. These destinations range from ecclesiastical ruins and fortress architecture to a museum visit, thereby broadening the cultural perspective beyond the town center.

Mount Monte d'Alma, Mount Monte di Stella and the summit of Monte di Muro are also located in the surroundings of Caldana.

The Mondo Marino Zoo Aquarium is also located in the surroundings of Caldana. Thus, alongside churches, palazzi, ruins and museums, the wider region also offers a destination with a zoological and aquatic focus.

More Destinations for Your Planning

For further orientation, you can also consider Bagno Di Gavorrano, Bivio Di Ravi, Giuncarico and Ravi.

Back to the main travel overview: Gavorrano.