Tuscany · Grosseto
Castiglione della Pescaia
A Maremma seaside town under an Aragonese castle, with the Vetulonia necropolis behind it and Italo Calvino buried on the hill.
Known for
ROCCA ARAGONESE
Promontory fortress begun in the 10th century, enlarged by Alfonso of Aragon and modified by Cosimo I de' Medici, dominating the harbor and old town.
DIACCIA BOTRONA
Ramsar wetland reserve, the last fragment of ancient Lake Prile, with the Casa Rossa Ximenes from 1765-1768 at its center.
ITALO CALVINO
Spent summers in the Roccamare pine forest, wrote Palomar there, and is buried by his own wish in the municipal cemetery above the harbor.
When to visit
Best · May–Sep
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
The festa: Guglielmo di Malavalle, secondo lunedì di maggio
Why come
Castiglione della Pescaia sits at sea level on the Maremma coast, north of Grosseto, with a medieval upper town rising on the promontory above the harbor. The site was Roman Salebrone, before that Etruscan and Umbrian, settled because of the lake behind it that the Romans called Portus Traianus. The lake silted up over time; what remains of it is the wetland reserve southeast of town, a Ramsar site since 1991.
The upper town and the harbor below it read as two halves of one settlement: the fortress watching the water from above, the working port beneath, and behind both the flat reclaimed ground where the lake used to be. Inland and to the east, the hills hold the remains of one of the major Etruscan cities, apart from the coastal life below. North of town, the pine forest gave Calvino his summers and now holds his grave on the hill above the harbor. The place is built in layers: a silted lake turned nature reserve, a watchtower turned fortress, an Etruscan hill city, and a modern coastline still shaped by all of it.
What to see
Rocca Aragonese
Castle on the promontory above the harbor, 10th-century watchtower core enlarged by Alfonso of Aragon in the 15th century, modified by Cosimo I and the Lorraine.
Riserva Naturale Diaccia Botrona
Wetland reserve southeast of town with bird-watching hides, pink flamingos and white herons in season.
Casa Rossa Ximenes
Hydraulic structure built by Jesuit engineer Leonardo Ximenes for the Lorraine drainage works; now multimedia museum of the wetland reserve.
Vetulonia
Etruscan archaeological area in the hills east of town, with one of the best-known necropolises in the ancient Mediterranean, rediscovered by Falchi in the 1890s.
Punta Ala
Pine-fronted beach resort 15 km north on the promontory of the same name, with high-end marina, golf course and Roccamare pine forest.
Tomba di Italo Calvino
Municipal cemetery on the hill behind the harbor where Calvino is buried; visitors leave a pen at the grave.
The slow-trip planner
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We recommend
Where to eat and stay
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
La Trattoria Enrico BartoliniRistorante
La Trattoria Enrico Bartolini carries one Michelin star, plus two Gambero Rosso forks (85/100).
Osteria del Mare già il VotapentoleRistorante
Osteria del Mare già il Votapentole has a Michelin Bib Gourmand and two Gambero Rosso forks (81/100).
ClannBistrot
Clann holds two Gambero Rosso tables.
La Terra di NelloTrattoria
La Terra di Nello holds two Gambero Rosso prawns.
Cala Beach ResortHotel
Cala Beach Resort carries a Leading Hotels of the World listing.
L’AndanaHotel
L’Andana has one Michelin Key to its name.
L'Andana ResortHotel
A Leading Hotels of the World listing, at L'Andana Resort.
Through the year
What happens here
Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.
Palio Marinaro di Castiglione della Pescaiahistorical re-enactment
usually held in August. Borghi Toscana - Eventi
Sagra Pratigianafood festival
usually held in August. Visit Tuscany - Calendario Ufficiale Eventi
The Sunday letter
Castiglione della Pescaia got its letter. One town every Sunday, free — the photo, the food, the festa.
Living here
- Population 7,121
- Commuter belti
- Pharmacy in town
- Nearest high school over ~30 minutes away
- Nearest airport Florence / Pisa, 2 h 6 min drive
- Regional capital Firenze, 2 h 50 min drive
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
The numbers
- Elevation: 4 m
- Population: 7,121
- Surface area: 209.28 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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