Pari

Pari is a perfectly-preserved Medieval village where time seems to stand still. It lounges on a hilltop among the gentle, golden hills of Tuscany in the shadow of Monte Amiata. It is halfway between Siena and Grosseto, in easy reach of the beaches at Follonica as well as the Etruscan zone of Tuscany. This area is the Maremma, a lesser-known and less crowded part of the region where antique towns cap the hills and vineyards and olive trees provide patchwork to the landscapes.

The town had Etruscan origins and then Roman development, like most of the villages in this area. The archeological finds from those periods are housed in museums in Grosseto and Siena. It was controlled by the Republic of Siena throughout the 1100s and 1200s, then was passed around the various noble Sienese families for a few centuries. It became known as an intellectual haven and still attracts literary types to the characteristic narrow lanes and antique archways of the pretty historic center.

The Piazza del Popolo caps the village providing views of the Valle dell'Ombrone and Mt. Amiata, stretching over the hills of the Maremma. There are a few good restaurants, coffee bars and a handful of shops tucked into the lanes between the lovely stone houses.