Montescudaio

'The area is characterized by small villages scattered among the hills of Volterra and Val di Cecina. The villages of Montescudaio, Guardistallo Maritime and Casale are especially picturesque. Montescudaio stands on a very old settlement of Villanovan culture and its name derives from the Latin Mons Scutaris, due to the strategic military function of this area in various historical periods. Following the road of the "Three Towns" to the south, through country scenery, we reach Guardistallo. The town developed around the ruins of a 7th century Lombard castle and its present name comes from the Germanic "Wardan stall", guard post, which clearly shows us the importance of the town’s location. Later, the Bishops of Volterra and the Gherardesca left their mark on the history of the town. A true jewel is The Marchionneschi Theatre dating from 1882 which has recently been restored and re-opened to the public. Not far away is Maritime Casale, whose origin is documented by a Paleo-Etruscan discovery of a Beehive or Tholos tomb. It was a Gherardesca stronghold until the 15th century. The uniqueness of this village is its ring structure, created when the ruins of the city walls around the castle were incorporated into the urban fabric. In the highest part of the town the most famous monuments can be found: the castle with the Clock Tower, la Casa del Camarlingo and the Church of Sant’ Andrea. In the countryside are three marked paths that lead to sites of historical and environmental interest: the Yellow route in the footsteps of the Romans, the Green route for the archaeological area of Casalvecchio and the Orange route leading to the Linaglia dam. Further north is Riparbella, a small village with a strong agricultural tradition, and the small town of Castellina Marittima with its Alabaster Eco-museum. A short distance away, perched on the hills of Volterra, we find Montecatini Val di Cecina. Three Romanesque buildings stand guard around the castle: the church of San Biagio, built with blocks of selagite, the Belforti Tower and the Praetorian building. Montescudaio’s economy, based on copper mining since Etruscan times, experienced a boom during the nineteenth century to become the largest copper mine in Europe. However, copper mining ceased in 1907. The hills around the village can be visited on foot, horseback or by bicycle.