© Cesare Moroni

Between the 12th and the 13th centuries Massa Marittima developed into a town with extraordinary urban, aesthetic and architectural features. Its history started with the Etruscan domination and reached the beginning of our new millennium through very interesting events and evolution stages. In fact, it is not a coincidence that the Convent of the Order of the Clarisse nuns of this nice town hosts a welcoming centre managing and diffusing documentation on topics related to the Park (mainly in terms of archaeology and arts) for all its visitors.

The multimedia station (Welcome totem) within this centre is located in the bookshop and provides information similar in structure, interface and functionality to the one provided by other similar Welcome totems within the local system, related to the town’s local (the Clarisse convent) and geographical context (Massa Marittima and neighbourhoods, besides other important centres nearby).

The Western exhibition room (Stanza Ovest) hosts two totems providing a comprehensive historical picture of Maremma’s territory: from the first prehistorical settlements and the Etruscan civilisation – even detailing daily life through a number of different videos – to the painful history of the 19th century, when this land of robbers and coalmen straggled through malaria until the drainage works of the following century, with mentions to the Romanisation and the power fights between Medieval families, the government of the Medici and their war against Siena and the Lorene. The other totem in this exhibition room provides information on the sites and monuments within the Park, with 3D reconstructions for some of them, as in the case of Ildebranda, the well-known Etruscan tomb discovered in Sovana, and the spectacular Roman villa of Settefinestre near Ansedonia, a renown ancient site of otium and farming.

Another totem is dedicated to local religious life, another subject with great cultural and spiritual appeal. This territory has always been a favourite destination for hermitage and work, despite its difficult environmental conditions. The station provides information on the early coenobitic life in this area, as on its many monastic communities (including the “guglielmiti”, the Franciscans and all modern monk orders), with mentions to the most recent original and revolutionary work by David Lazzaretti, whose followers are still quite numerous on Mount Amiata.

Finally, the Eastern exhibition room (Stanza Est) displays a totem focused on territory valorisation (gastronomy, folklore, etc.), on tourism and leisure, with maps and suggestions for trekking tracks and information on local events. Don’t miss the edutainment totem which includes games and entertainment on the documentation presented in the whole centre.

The welcoming centre of Massa Marittima, just like every other similar centre within the Park, is not only a visual portal for the diffusion of these topics, but also a place where visitors can truly, and physically, interact through computers and multimedia documentation to investigate the territory.

Hub location
Clarisse Convent, p.za XXIV Maggio, Massa Marittima

Opening
01/04 - 30/09:
Tuesday-Friday 9,30 - 12,30; 14,30-18,30
Saturday 9,00-13,00; 14,30-18,30
Sunday 9,30-12,30; 14,30-18,30
Closed on Monday
Festival days: 9.30-12.30; 14.30-18.30
01/10 - 31/03:
Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 9.30-12.30; 15.00-18.00
Festival days:  9.30-12.30; 14.30-18.30 (closed the 1st of January and the 25th of December)