Pietra Castle

The scarce rests of the 'Castel Pietra' can be reached from Florence crossing the Speedway FI-Siena, from here continuing along SS223 Siena-Grosseto up to the exit for Civitella Marittima. The direction to follow is for Roccastrada and then for Ribolla. Passed this last country we continue for Gavorrano, after about eight kilometers, overcome the alternative that we find on the right for Massa Marittima , we find on the left a non asphalt road with prohibition of access where  are also set the indications for Castel Pietra. The last part must be crossed by feet on a comfortable path.

At the feet of the 'Serre', in the northern part of Quercione Hill, rises the ruins of the Pietra Castle. From here is possible to dominate the whole river Bruna upper valley and its  countries. Between the rests of the castle are today still visible big square calcareous stones, a tower exposed to east, leaned out on a crag, and the perimetrical walls to west and to south, completely lost in the vegetation.

In this so fascinating place had his castle Inghiramo of the Pannocchieschi, political figure of relief, that was Podesta (medieval term for chief magistrate or governor) of Volterra in 1277 and Lucca in 1313, captain of the Guelph League of Tuscany in 1284 and captain of the people in Modena in 1310. He was a man famous also for his violent temperament, and it's here, perhaps around 1300, that he ordered the assassination of his wife Pia dei Tolomei to marry Margherita Aldobrandeschi, his new love. Perhaps it's this Pia that the great poet Dante Alighieri describes, in the V° chant of the purgatory of his Divine Comedy with the very famous verses '...ricordati di me che son la Pia : Siena mi fé; disfecemi Maremma...'

In the interior of these ruins  every year in September is developed an historical revocation with a 'Medieval Party' full of ancient popular games, minstrels' songs, gastronomies, (for information: Commune of Gavorrano tel. +39564629218). On the slopes of the hill is found the 'Riparo Cavanna', a small hollow originate by collapses of the rock, in which the members of the Maremmana Naturalistic Society, have found numerous reports manufactured in stone of the Palaeolithic era, important testimonies for the reconstruction of the  ancient human history of this area.
The memory of the tragedy of Pia dè Tolomei in Pietra Castle is celebrated every year on the 6th August in the near town of Gavorrano, with historical processions, exhibitions, an equestrian 'palio' between the two quartiers of the Tolomei and the Pannocchieschi, as prologue to the evening representation in the historical center.