Morellino di Scansano

Remote Maremma hills where Sangiovese goes by "Morellino." Less famous than Brunello but equally delicious. The wild landscape is quintessentially Tuscan.

What to do there

5 things to do

1. 1 Find the Woman Who Taught Maremma It Was Worth Something Wine · Price: moderate

   Fattoria Le Pupille — where a 25-year-old in 1985 hired the man who created Sassicaia and changed everything.

   In 1985, Elisabetta Geppetti inherited this estate aged roughly twenty when Maremma was considered a backwater. She called in Giacomo Tachis — the man who created Sassicaia — and together they made Saffredi, the first Super Tuscan from the Maremma, proving this wild coast could produce wine that made critics weep. Book the 120-minute estate tour at Fattoria Le Pupille (Loc. Piagge del Maiano 92A, fattorialepupille.it, Mon-Fri 09:30-17:30) and ask to taste Poggio Valente — the 100% Sangiovese Riserva that makes the argument: same grape as Brunello, fraction of the price. If budget allows, ask for Saffredi (the €115 Super Tuscan that scores 97 from James Suckling).

   Backup: If weekends only, visit Vignaioli del Morellino di Scansano cooperative (170 members, 700 hectares) in Scansano — free walk-in tasting at the counter, no booking required.

   Log Memory
2. 2 Decode 'The Little Dark One' in Scansano's Medieval Lanes Wine · Price: low

   The hilltop town of Scansano holds a secret the Etruscans kept first: this grape has been here since the 4th century BC.

   'Morellino' means 'little dark one' in the local dialect — from morello (dark brown), referring either to the grape's colour or the dark Morelli horses roaming these hills for centuries. The same Sangiovese costs €80 as Brunello in Montalcino but €15 here. Walk through Porta Grossetana into Scansano's medieval center and visit the Museo Archeologico (Palazzo Pretorio, Piazza Garibaldi) to see Etruscan grape-harvesting tools from Ghiaccioforte — bronze statues of harvesters still holding their curved roncola knives, plus actual Vitis vinifera seeds proving this vine was sacred here 2,600 years ago. Then order house Morellino at any trattoria in the piazza for under €5.

   Backup: The Consorzio Tutela Morellino di Scansano has a small information point in town — staff can point you to the best-value local tasting.

   Log Memory
3. 3 Soak in the Springs Jupiter Made When He Lost His Temper Adventure · Free

   37.5°C thermal pools, open 24 hours, free to enter — used by the Etruscans before Rome was a city.

   The Romans believed these springs were made by Jupiter throwing lightning bolts at Saturn during a divine quarrel — where the bolts struck, scalding sulphurous water poured out at 37.5°C, a temperature maintained for 2,500+ years through civilizations and empires. The cascading travertine terraces result from millennia of mineral deposit. Navigate to Cascate del Mulino, Saturnia (42.6485, 11.5129, NOT the town center). Dawn is magical: steam rising off pools against Maremma hills with almost nobody there. No gates, tickets, or hours — permanently open. Bring towel and change of clothes; remove silver/gold jewelry (sulphur tarnishes them).

   Backup: If Cascate del Mulino is crowded (August weekends can be busy), the smaller Cascate del Gorello is 10 minutes away and far less known.

   Log Memory
4. 4 Walk the Road the Etruscans Cut 25 Metres Into the Rock History · Free

   The Via Cava di San Giuseppe — a trench carved vertically into tufa rock, 2,500 years old, free, and completely surreal.

   The Etruscans carved these sunken roads — vie cave — directly into soft tufa rock, creating corridors up to 25 metres deep where you walk at the bottom unable to see over the top. Nobody knows exactly why — processional routes to necropolises, defensive corridors, ceremonial roads? The Via Cava di San Giuseppe below Pitigliano (42.6312, 11.6715) is most accessible: under an hour out-and-back, with 20m walls rising above your head, Etruscan tombs cut into rock faces, and a 16th-century Saint Joseph fresco painted into the ancient stone. Follow signs for 'San Giuseppe' and 'Necropoli Etrusca' from the Sovana-Sorano road. Run your hand along tufa walls — Etruscan iron tool marks are still visible.

   Backup: If conditions are too wet, stay above and walk the Pitigliano cliff-top perimeter — the views over the gorge are reason enough, and completely free.

   Log Memory
5. 5 Step Into La Piccola Gerusalemme — Where 400 Years of Neighbors Saved Each Other History · Price: low

   Pitigliano's Jewish quarter is the most moving 45 minutes in southern Tuscany. €5 entry. The ending will stay with you.

   In the 15th century, when Jews fled Counter-Reformation persecution from Rome and Florence, Pitigliano — isolated on tufa cliffs, ruled by independent Orsini family — became their refuge. By 1622 a formal ghetto existed; by the 19th century Livorno nicknamed it 'La Piccola Gerusalemme.' Carved into tufa beneath the synagogue: a mikvah, matzo bakery, kosher winery, butchery — an entire civilization operating underground. In 1943, when racial laws came, every Jewish resident reportedly escaped capture because their Christian neighbors hid them. Enter La Piccola Gerusalemme (Via Zuccarelli, €5, summer 10:00-13:00/14:30-18:00) and spend time in the underground kosher winery carved into tufa. Outside, buy Bianco di Pitigliano DOC — the wine this community made in those cellars.

   Backup: If closed, the synagogue exterior and the cliff-edge walk around the Orsini Aqueduct are free and extraordinary.

   Log Memory

Insider tips

• Fattoria Le Pupille is the benchmark producer

• Saturnia thermal springs are nearby (natural hot waterfall)

• Pitigliano (Little Jerusalem) is worth a detour

• Excellent value compared to Brunello