Piombino

Piombino is a 34,041 inhabitants seaside town located on the border between Liguarian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea, in the western part of Tuscany, Italy. It's part of the province of Livorno and its location is perfect to reach Elba island and other islands of Arcipelago Toscano National Park, as well as Corsica (France).

How do I arrive to Piombino?

  Piombino is well connected with other coastal destinations in Tuscany. 

• Boat: there are ferries to Portoferraio (aprox. 1 hour), in Elba island, at least every hour.
• Train: the town of Piombino is connected to the railway that links Pisa, Livorno and Grosseto via the train station Campiglia Marittima (aprox. 20 minutes), with at least a train every hour from Piombino.
• Bus: there are also buses that connect Piombino with the nearest towns. There are 4 daily buses between Piombino and Baratti (aprox. 30 minutes).
• Car: if you rented a car, from Piombino you can reach Massa Marittima (aprox. 40 minutes), Castiglione della Pescaia (aprox. 50 minutes), Grosseto (aprox. 1 hour), Livorno (aprox. 1 hour 10 minutes) or Pisa and Volterra (aprox. 1 hour 20 minutes).

History

 The area of modern Piombino was settled since ancient times. During the Etruscan era the main city in the area was Populonia, now a frazione within the comune of Piombino. Piombino is said to have been founded when Greek pirates attacked Populonia in the 9th century or it could have already been founded during the Ostrogoth domination. In 1115 Piombino submitted to the Republic of Pisa, becoming its second main port, sacked some times  in the 12th-13th centuries some times during the conflicts between the Pisane and the Genoese. It remained a Pisan possession until Gerardo Appiani ceded Pisa to the Milanese Visconti, when it became an independent state, the Principality of Piombino. It included the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago (Elba, Pianosa, Montecristo, Capraia, Gorgona and Giglio), and in 1445, through his marriage with Caterina Appiani, Rinaldo Orsini acquired the lordship. Cosimo I de' Medici occupied it in the course of the war against Siena, reinstating the Appiani family in 1557 with the peace treaty. Between 1557 and 1801 Piombino was part of the State of the Presidi, attached to the Crown of Naples and a possession of the Crown of Spain. In 1801 Napoleon abolished the principate and Piombino and its lands being annexed by the Kingdom of Etruria and given to Napoleon's sister, Elisa Baciocchi, in 1809. After the congress of Vienna, the state of Piombino was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and became part of the unified Kingdom of Italy in 1860. During WW2, in the days that followed the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile, Piombino was the setting for one of the first episodes of the Italian resistance
 

What can I visit in Piombino?

The city has some nice places to walk and discover, although they aren't very interesting. There are very impressing views of the seaside and the islands of Elba, Montecristo, Capraia (and even Corsica) at viewpoint of Piazza Bovio.

These are Piombino's main attractions:

• Piombino Castle: castle formed by two distinct buildings: the Fortress (built under Cosimo I de' Medici in the 1550s) and the late 15th century Cassero (used as military jail until 1959). Here it is located Piombino Castle and Medieval Ceramisc Museum (9:30-13:30 Sat-Sun in Jun; 18-23 from Jul to Aug; 6€/ 4€  adults/ retiree and kids under 14), museum with around 600 pieces of 13th century medieval ceramics (ancient majolica from Pisa, ceramics from Savona or imported ones) and a section dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci and his designs during his visits to Piombino.
• Piombino Town Hall: reconstruction of the ancient Palazzo degli Anziani from 1435. It keeps the portraits of all the Princes of Piombino at the Musters Hall.
• Piombino Co-Cathedral: 14th century duomo built in Sienese Gothic style by the architect Piero del Grillo, with numerous changes over the years (including a substantial one on the 1930s). Its façade is made of red-brick and has a lunette with a mosaic from 1937; the interior was added panel decorations, a wooden crucifix and the Baroque altar on Baciocchi decades. It keeps some nice works of art such a late Gothic baptismal font by Andrea Guardi or paintings like Trinity and Saints by Francesco Vanni. It has a typical Tuscan Renaissance cloister by Andrea Guardi too. Outside the church there's a nice fountain, Fonti di Marina, with zoomorphic heads (original ones are kept at the castle museum).
• Chiesa della Misericordia: nice 13th century church that keeps a beautiful 15th century wooden crucifix.
• Populonia Archaeological Museum (10-18 Tue-Sun from mid Jun to Sep; 10-18 Sat-Sun from May to mid Jun; 7€/ 5€  adults/ retiree and kids under 14): museum placed at Palazzo Nuovo, a 19th century palace built for Napoleon’s sister, that illustrates the history of Populonia from prehistory to Modern age, focusing on the Etruscan and Roman periods. It keeps most of the threasures found on the archaeological park such as the Tomb of the Chariots, the famous Mosaic of the Fish or the silver urn of Barratti. 
• Torrione e Rivellino: 13th century fortifications that are considered the oldest monument in town. Its main gate was built in 1447 by condottiero Rinaldo Orsini.  
• The municipality has also very nice beaches such as Buca delle Fate, Spiaggia Lunga Beach or Fosso alle Canne.
• On the outskirts of Piombino it can be found Baratti and Populonia Archaeological Park (10-18 Tue-Sun Jun; 9:30-19:30 from mid Jun to Sep; 20€/ 15€  adults/ retiree and kids under 14). This nice park has archaeological remains of Populonia (the most important Etruscan archaeological remains in Tuscany), one of the main Etruscan cities and the only one located by the sea. Most of the things that have been found here are Etruscan tombs (located on different necropolis such as San Cerbone Necropoli) but there were many other precious objects such as Phoenician plates and Greek-Oriental vases. The park has 4 paths to discover these remains and other (they last around 90 min-2 hours)
  

Barrati and Populonia Archaeological Park

Piazza Bovio

View of Castiglione della Pescaia

Going by the coast from Piombino to the south there are many beautiful beaches such as Carbonifera Beach. Once passed Follonica, an important seaside resort, 20 km far from it, there's Castiglione della Pescaia, an interesting 8,500 inhabitants town with an important fishing tradition, very visited because of its fortress and its beaches (it's the 4th most visited place in Tuscany). The town keeps in very good conditions its walls, Castiglione della Pescaia Town Walls, from the 15th century and has a very picturesque harbour. On the top of the town it can be found Castiglione della Pescaia Castle, a beautiful 10th century castle that has suffered different over time and from where getting excellent views of the Tuscan seaside. Other interesting places are St. Giovanni Battista Church, 16th century church with a Neogothic bell tower, or Casa Rossa Ximenes (15-19 Tue-Sat, 10-13 and 16-21 Sun; ), house built by Leonardo Ximenes in 1765 to control the flow of water between the vast marsh area and the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea. But the best idea in Castiglione is getting lost on its streets and just enjoying the views. Outside the town, in the fraction of Vetulonia, it can be visited Vetulonia Archaeological Site (10-18 Tue-Sun from Apr to Oct; 10-16 Tue-Sun from Nov to Mar; 5€/ 2.50€  adults/ reduced), with remains of this Roman town.

Massa Marittima Co-Cathedral

Not far from Piombino, 45 km east, can be found the interesting town of Massa Marittima, a 8,286 inhabitants town not far from the coast. Its Old Town is very interesting, built around Piazza Garibaldi. The most impressing point in Massa Marittima is the duomo, Massa Marittima Co-Cathedral (12-19 from Jun to Sep; 12-18 from Oct to May), a 13th century asymmetric cathedral whose main work of art is a majesty, attributed to Duccio di Buoninsegna. In the same square there's Massa Marittima Archeological Museum (11-13 and 15-18 Tue-Sun; 3€/ 2€/ free  adults/ retiree and people under 18/ students and kids under 6), museum located in Podestà Palace (from the 13th century) and whose main piece is La Stele del Vado all'Arancio. Not far from the square there's an old fountain Fonti dell'Abbondanza, with peculiar frescoes; other touristic attractions are Massa Maritima Sacred Art Museum (10-13 and 15-18 Tue-Sun; 5€/ 3€/ free  adults/ retiree and people under 18/ students and kids under 6), museum with works of art like Majestad by Ambrogio Lorenzetti or sculptures by Giovanni Pisano, located in former St. Pietro all'Orto Monastery; Candeliere Tower (11-13 and 15-18 Tue-Sun; 3€/ 2€/ free  adults/ retiree and people under 18/ students and kids under 6), 13th century tower that provides great views of the town; Massa Marittimo Minery Museum (guided tours; 5€/ 3€/ free  adults/ retiree and people under 18/ students and kids under 6), reproduction of a mine that shows the minery tradition of this part of the region. There's a combined ticket of these three last monuments (plus the archeological museum) for 10€.

Where can I eat in Piombino?

 An idea to eat in Piombino and surroundings is fish restaurant Canessa (Località Baratti 43).

In Massa Maritima some of the main points to eat are Il Bacchino (Via Moncini 8) or La Tana del Brillo Parlante (Vicolo del Ciambellano 4).

Posted in: Europe,Italy,Tuscany