Casale Marittimo

Casale Marittimo is a municipality of the Province of Pisa in the Tuscany region of Italy with 1111 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012).

Geography

The village with its well-preserved medieval town center is situated on a hill at the back of Cecina, removed about twelve miles from the Tyrrhenian coast. The municipality covers 14 km ². It is located about 70 km southwest of Florence and 50 km southeast of Pisa. The municipality is located in the climatic classification of Italian communities in the zone D, GR 1843 / G.

The municipality has no further districts.

The neighboring municipalities are Bibbona (LI ), Cecina (LI) and Guardistallo.

History

Casale Marittimo was inhabited in Etruscan times, which is evidence excavations on the territory of the municipality, including a grave in the form of a tholos from the 5th century BC (now in the Archaeological Museum of Florence). It also remains of some Roman villas were found. The place is first mentioned in the Middle Ages in 1004 as a castle of Count Gherardesca; it served to protect the coast and the valley of Cecina. After Pisan domination of the town belonged in 1406 to Florence.

Casale Marittimo lived for centuries of agriculture ( cereals, olive oil, grape ). As in many rural areas of Italy began in the 1950s, the population migrate for economic reasons. Many of the abandoned building of smallholder farmers were later converted into cottages. Today, the main source of tourism ( agritourism, Italian language courses, seminars ); Also the wine was revived ( Casale Marittimo belongs to the DOC Montescudaio ).

Culture and sights

• From the medieval castle two city gates and other remnants of walls have been preserved, which were integrated into the city buildings.
• Chiesa di Sant'Andrea - parish church, which was built in 1873 over the 1871 destroyed in an earthquake and older derived from the medieval church.

Regular events

Sagra delle Chiocciole, ( snail festival last Sunday in July ) - folk festival with traditional gastronomic specialties from snails

Sons and daughters of the town

• Giuseppe Papadopulo ( b. 1948 ), football player and coach