Scarlino: Discover History, Coast and Nature

Scarlino between the Rocca and the City Walls

Above Scarlino stands the Rocca Pisana, the restored ruin of the Aldobrandeschi castle. The Rocca Pisana is also a fort in the vicinity of Scarlino. Below the Rocca Pisana, the city walls were built from the 11th century onward. This provides you with a historical introduction featuring clear points of reference: the castle, fortifications and townscape can be viewed as distinct traces of history.

Gates, Church and Archaeological Insights

Scarlino has three gates. The Porta a mare, also known as the Porta pisana, and the Porta della fonte, also known as the Porta senese, are among the traditional entrances. Another gate was opened in the 19th century at the instigation of Elisa Baciocchi, connected the town with Puntone and no longer survives today. The Church of San Martino also stands in Scarlino. It was built in the 13th century, rebuilt in the neo-Romanesque style in 1759 and extended in the mid-20th century.

The Riccardo Francovich Territory Documentation Center displays archaeological finds that trace the history of the hill of the Rocca di Scarlino from the Bronze Age to the 17th century. This chronological span complements the visible buildings with a longer perspective on the town and its past.

Terra Rossa and the History of Mining

Terra Rossa preserves the ore storage silos, the loading gallery and the industrial areas of the former mining terminal. From 1911 to 1968, mining cableways transported pyrite extracted from the mines to the Terra Rossa port terminal, where it was loaded into the holds of merchant ships. The surviving facilities therefore represent an industrial past that clearly differs from the medieval Rocca and the city walls.

Routes to the Coast

If you want to reach Terra Rossa from the coast, the short route from Portiglioni–Puntone first follows the Lungomare Giuseppe Garibaldi waterfront road and then, after about 300 metres, continues along an unpaved road. Cala Martina is mainly accessible by sea or on foot or by bicycle via the Via delle Costiere. When planning your journey, it is therefore important to distinguish between a route with an unpaved section and access to Cala Martina by water, on foot or by bicycle.

Wetland and Landscape

The formal recognition of the Padule di Scarlino as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar List was completed in January 2026. In the Padule di Scarlino, boardwalks and developed paths enable independent walks through the wetland. The Monte d'Alma and Monte di Stella mountains are also located in the vicinity of Scarlino, as is Monte di Muro, a peak. Cala Violina is a beach in the area around Scarlino.

Museums in the Area

Several museum destinations are located around Scarlino: Portus Scabris is a museum, as are the MAGMA Museo delle Arti in Ghisa della Maremma and the Museo di Storia Naturale. Together with the Riccardo Francovich Territory Documentation Center, they offer a broad spectrum of industrial history, archaeology and natural history. Scarlino can therefore be planned around different interests: with buildings and traces of history, walks through the wetland, or landscape and coastal destinations.

More destinations: Puntone, Scarlino Scalo and Il Casone.

To the main travel overview: Grosseto.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Sorano, Montevitozzo, Campagnatico, Carige Alta, Gavorrano.