Maremma

The Maremma is a landscape in central Italy to the usual today after a pars pro toto understanding the entire southern Tuscany and parts of Northern Lazio belong. But in the narrower sense, the Maremma includes only the flat, broken by the hills of the Monti dell'Uccellina coastal strip between the Gulf of Follonica, the rivers of Bruna and the Ombrone and the lagoon of Orbetello Monte Argentario, originally a cohesive, with the Tyrrhenian sea ​​associated swampland, which was called in Roman times Maritima Regio. Hence the related with the Spanish term marisma ( = swampy coastal land ) Name of the landscape has been created. Set in the Maremma places often result therefore the nickname Marittima for place names, even if they do not lie on the sea. Special historical significance of the place Talamone south of the present nature park dell'Uccellina; Talamone was in the renaissance of the free port city of Siena.

Development of the landscape

In the flat landscape in winter the rivers bring more water from the mountains with as to drain into the sea; so arise between the rivers extensive shallow, inland lakes that do not dry out in summer. Between the waters of the wind piles up sand dunes, interspersed with large masses of debris, boulders and broken branches, the hertragen the rivers in front of him. The salt water of the sea and the fresh water of the rivers mingle as a single swamp.

The Etruscans, who settled on hills in today's hinterland ( Populonia, Vetulonia, Roselle ), was, as is known from Roman sources, a partial drainage of the bay by system of a canal system that linked their settlements with the sea, succeeded. But already in Roman times were the forces of nature the upper hand again, and since late antiquity was the land left to themselves. Some towns that thrived in Roman times, went completely based.

Since the Middle Ages malaria in the swamps was known; either Pisa or Siena showed interest in the field except as a port bases for strategic purposes. Dante mentions the curse of the Maremma in his Divina Commedia Canto V. 133-136 of the Purgatorio ( lament of the abandoned Countess Pia Tolomei of Siena: "... it created me Siena, it broke me the Maremma " ), and an old folk song tells of the " bitter Maremma " which the narrator took the dearest.

The reclamation and drainage program ( la bonifica )

Only in the 18th and 19th century initiated the Grand Dukes of Tuscany from the House of Habsburg -Lorraine, an extensive restoration and drainage program for the country. Ferdinand III. however, brought the first one with the idea, they could not implement, since he died of malaria.

His son, Grand Duke Leopold II had conceived with his advisor, the Count Fossombroni, plans for the construction of a canal system to derive the sediment-rich river water and recirculation of purified water since 1804. Furthermore, the planting of a pine belt should bring drainage. This was preceded successfully completed drainage projects on the river Cecina. On April 27, 1828, the project was approved, and the work began in late 1829 with 5000 workers from all parts of Tuscany, the other Italian neighboring countries and abroad under the supervision of engineer Alessandro Manetti, who reported directly to the Grand Duke. 1830, the drainage canal was completed.

A final draining of swamps and eradicate malaria was still not achieved. From the late 19th century and intensified in the 1930s, the Maremma was drained again.

The Maremma today

Today, agriculture and tourism dominate. The wines of the Maremma are on the rise; all known Italian wineries have secured acreage and produce high quality wines (see also the article Sassicaia and Viticulture in Italy). The largest city is Grosseto Maremma.

In recent years, the tourist relies very heavily on sustainable tourism, so no large hotel buildings with interventions are promoted into the landscape. Typical offers are apartments, camping or Agritourism ( in German speaking countries known as a holiday on the farm, also the Italian spelling Agriturismo has naturalized in Germany ); here there is the simple Podere ( former farmhouse ) to the Fattoria ( farm house ) offers that are particularly suitable for holidays with children. The beaches of the Maremma received top marks in the annual audits with regard to water quality and cleanliness. As the price level, unlike other Italian coastal regions is very high.

The existing since 1975 Maremma Natural Park has deliberately returned a portion of the reclaimed by the bonifica scenery of nature. This controls the plants and animals surrendered wilderness that is accessible to the people with limitations, but differs significantly from the uncontrolled, dominated by the malaria original state of the past.

See also: Maremma, Maremma cattle, Maremma Sheepdog.