Manciano

A pretty hilltop town in the Maremma area of Tuscany enjoys a lovely position in the rolling hills. Manciano has a well-maintained old town with a castle on top that was built in 1188. Sitting above the Albegna River, the town offers views of the gentle hills that extend inland toward the mountains and down toward the sea. It is in the tufo zone, a unique area of geologic formations, that includes the beautiful and fascinating town of Pitigliano.

The area has been inhabited since the Bronze Age and there are several interesting necropoli that were discovered in the surrounding countryside. The town became a feudal estate of the Aldobrandeschi family then passed to the Montemerano and the Orsini family. When it fell under the jurisdiction of the city-state of Siena, it was was fortified for its strategic position.

There is the castle in town as well as other storybook type castles in the area, like the Castle of Marsiliana. The position is fantastic - the Mediterranean Sea is close by, so you can enjoy the Tuscan beaches at Orbetello and the "island" of Monte Argentario. The Tarot Gardens at Capalbio and the lovely towns of Pitigliano and Sovana are close by, and the Val d'Orcia is a short trip, as well.