Ladispoli, located on the Italian coast, only 35 kilometers west of Rome, is a very popular summer resort city.  During the months of July and August, the city is filled with sun worshipers, beach goers, and others, all out for a bit of fun and relaxation. I, however, was visiting the city in the beginning…

The Chiesa dell’Immacolata is a beautiful church, and worth a visit, while in Piombino. Nearby is the Museo Archeologico del Territorio di Populonia.  The museum is housed in what used to be part of the Citadel, once home to the Princess Elisa Baciocchi, sister of Napoleon.  This is a wonderful museum, filled to the brim…

I woke with a plan for the day, all set in my head.  I had checked the weather online, before leaving the apartment, and the forecasters promised a sunny morning, with a chance of showers in the afternoon.  That being the case, I thought that this might be a good opportunity to explore the Parco…

Piombino has a history that goes back for many years.  It was the site of an old Etruscan port.  Then, in the Middle Ages, it was considered one of the ports of the city of Pisa.  There is history everywhere you look.  And beauty, too! At the end of Corso Vittorio Emanuele,  you reach Piazza…

While not necessarily “easy” to get to, Piombino is well worth visiting on many levels.  It has sun, sand, sea, history, nature, art, great food, and wonderful people!  If you are not arriving by automobile or boat, then, chances are, you are taking a train, in which case you need to change trains at the…

Like most of Italy, Massa’s shops all shut down during the midday hours.  This is the time to relax, eat, rest, and plan your evening.  Even the animals take siesta here! Massa Marittima has had its share of famous residents.  It was the birthplace of the 4th-century emperor Constantius Gallus, as well as of San…

One of the nice things about waking up in a small Italian town is that, by your second day, the locals start to recognize you, and while maybe not treating you as if you’ve lived there all of your life, they do greet you when you walk past.  People that only the day before looked…

Massa Marittima is divided up into three zones: La Citta Vecchia, La Citta Nova, and the Borgo.  La Citta Nova is the section towards the top of the hill, past the castle, and the Cassero Senese, which was built in the 13th century, to protect and expand the city. A local guard keeps watch against…

Massa Marittima is a charming Tuscan hilltown, located in the area known as the Colline Metallifere, an area full of silver and copper mines.  If traveling by car, it is easy enough to find.  There is a large municipal parking lot, right at the entrance to the town.  Park here!  Believe me when I tell…