Suvereto

Seat of important wineries (here it produces the DOC Val di Cornia Suvereto), the village of Suvereto is located in the Val di Cornia. The fraction of Prata is known to be the area of origin and production of Lazzero di Prata, a precious type of olive oil. The toponym is certified for the first time in 973 and derives from the latin suber, "cork", for which Suvereto is the "corkwood".
Worth a visit to the Rocca Aldobrandesca, that dominates the whole town, built around the middle of the XII century.

Another point of interest is the Parish Church of San Giusto, remembered since 923, probably of medieval origin, is one of the most interesting Romanesque buildings in the province of Livorno.

Nearby you can also visit the Natural Park of Montioni, forming part of the system of parks of Val di Cornia, a park characterized by a rich fauna, rare examples of typically mediterranean flora and important monuments from the napoleonic era recently restored in the small hamlet of Montioni, such as the baths, the so-called "Baciocca" and a commemorative obelisk dedicated to Elisa Bonaparte, sister of Napoleon Bonaparte and princess of Lucca and Piombino.

The Palio of Suvereto is an event that takes place twice a year. This is a race between teams of "pushing", that dispute for the paved streets of the historic center. The pairs of pushers shall bring the cask from 5 quintals of belly and push, as uniformly as possible on the circuit trying to overtake opponents.
The first palio di Santa Croce, is held in May in concomitance of the patronal feasts while the second falls on 13 August and is called the Palio of the Emperor.
The Wild Boar Festival is a historic event which unwinds from almost 50 years in December, in the weekends around the 8 December. The Festival has always tip to the exploitation of the typical products of the local gastronomy, crafts and in general of the traditions of the territory. In the course of the years conferences and initiatives have treated and deepened socio-economical aspects linked to Suvereto and Val di Cornia.

BY CAR

• From the North: Take the A12 Genova - Livorno - Rosignano Marittimo motorway, exit at Rosignano Marittimo, continue on the SS 1 highway and follow the direction for Venturina - Piombino - Elba, follow the direction for Venturina - Campiglia Marittima, continue on the SS 398 up to Suvereto.
• From the South: In Rome, take the A12 motorway towards Civitavecchia, continue on the SS 1 Aurelia towards Grosseto, follow towards Venturina - Piombino - Elba Island, continue towards Venturina - Campiglia Marittima, continue on the SS 398 until in Suvereto.

BY PLANE

• Pisa airport
• Florence airport

BY SEA

• Port of Piombino Marittima

Red and gray are the colors of the village, of its stones, of paving and the roofing tiles. Around the hills fillers of ripe grapes have the colors of the vineyards in Autumn, the silvery nuances of the olive trees and the various shades of green of the woods. You arrive in Suvereto from the sea travelling the Aurelia road along the coast of the Etruscans and then by deviating toward the hinterland to the height of Piombino and Venturina. In the landscape of this part of Tuscany, suspended between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Colline Metallifere, Suvereto, with old houses, ancient roofs, artisan shops, is like an old trunk. The olive trees have wrinkles that seem of etruscan elders. Here the osmosis is total between man, stone and earth. Etruscan land (Populonia is just two steps away), rural land, fortified land of Maremma. Inside these well preserved walls and out into the countryside, is today a whole multitude of cellars, crushers, farms, farm houses, restaurants. Suvereto is no longer the sad country from the end of the Seventeenth Century, almost abandoned for the stench of stagnant water and malaria which made the Maremma "bitter", including the upper part of the Livornese. The houses of Suvereto, with their facades of local stone mixed with recovered materials, express the rustic spirit of a rural community that does not want to waste. Is the sobriety of the campaign that, after an apnea of centuries, is returned to live among the rows of vines, olive trees, cypresses, the palms and the ancient cork oaks that gave the name to Suvereto.

Discover the other villages on the guide Tuscany - Unique Villages to Love