Castellina Marittima: Trails, alabaster and olive-covered hills

Castellina Marittima combines marked circular trails and sweeping landscape views with a history closely connected to alabaster. Olive growing, wine and rural cuisine also shape the character of the town.

Circular Trails and Sweeping Views

The Percorsi Verdi comprise around 20 kilometres of well-marked circular trails in total. They start from Castellina Marittima’s main square. The routes offer different ways to combine exercise and scenery: from their viewpoints, you can see across the Gulf of Baratti and the Piombino promontory to the Tuscan Archipelago. The plain of Pisa and the Apuan Alps are also among the panoramas mentioned.

For navigation, the municipality provides printable hiking maps, detailed information on the individual trails, and GPX and KML tracks. Another viewpoint is Sassi Bianchi, from where you can see the Apuan Alps and the Tuscan Archipelago. These landscapes give the walking theme a broad perspective: alongside the trails themselves, views of the coast, islands, plain and mountains shape the character of the Percorsi Verdi.

Another kind of experience is offered by “L'arco e il tempo,” an equipped forest trail about one kilometre long. Along the trail are stations on human evolution, and trying traditional archery is also part of its concept. Le Cave di Piero offers a different kind of outdoor experience. This public nature area is equipped with tables, benches and barbecue facilities. Both places complement the circular trails with their own themes and practical stops to include in your travel plans.

Alabaster, Churches and Local History

Castellina Marittima’s historical heritage can be seen in a range of places. The Romanesque church of San Giovanni Battista is considered worth a visit, while the remains of the ancient fortress are also singled out as interesting. The ancient Pieve di San Giovanni Decollato is another historic building. Together, these buildings and ruins provide several distinct points of reference for the town’s history, which cannot be reduced to a single era.

Another historical thread leads to alabaster, quarrying of which is part of Castellina Marittima’s heritage. “Bianco di Castellina” is closely associated with the name of the local alabaster. The central museum site of the Ecomuseo dell'Alabastro houses archive materials on alabaster extraction techniques. The Ecomuseo is a multi-site museum offering that includes Castellina Marittima, Santa Luce and Volterra. The central museum site where these materials are kept is part of the Ecomuseo dell'Alabastro, which includes Castellina Marittima, Santa Luce and Volterra.

Olives, Wine and Rural Cuisine

The landscape also reflects how the land is used: Castellina Marittima is characterised by hills covered in olive trees, vineyards and fields of grain, along with rows of cypress trees and lush Mediterranean scrub. Olives are grown here and pressed for oil. At Tenuta del Terriccio, 12,000 olive trees of the Frantoio, Moraiolo, Maurina and Rosciola varieties grow across 50 hectares; they are cultivated using organic farming methods.

The town’s cuisine has its roots in the rural tradition of so-called “cucina povera,” associated with the lives of alabaster quarry workers. Wine is also part of the local picture: numerous wineries producing high-quality wines helped Castellina Marittima become part of the Strada del vino Costa degli Etruschi. Landscape, agriculture and history come together here in different ways—from olive growing and the wine route to the memory of work in the alabaster quarries.

Discover more destinations: Terriccio, Montescudaio, Montopoli In Val D'arno, Uliveto Terme, Ponte a Egola, Santa Croce Sull'arno, Volterra, Lajatico.

For the overview of the wider area: Pisa.