Campiglia Marittima, Italy: travel guide to the medieval hill town of the Etruscan Coast and the San Silvestro mines

Campiglia Marittima is a medieval hill town in the Val di Cornia, in the province of Livorno, Tuscany, set on a hilltop overlooking the sea and countryside of the Etruscan Coast. Documented since the 11th century and beautifully preserved within its walls, it is regarded as one of the most charming villages in this unspoiled corner of the Maremma.

For travellers searching for Campiglia Marittima Tuscany, the Etruscan Coast, the San Silvestro mining park or Val di Cornia, the town combines a striking medieval centre with a remarkable industrial and Etruscan past.

The town

Campiglia's old town is a harmonious maze of cobbled lanes and palaces arranged in concentric semicircles within the city walls. Crowning the hill is the Rocca di Campiglia, a medieval fortress at around 280 metres with a museum and sweeping views over the Val di Cornia and the sea. The Piazza della Repubblica, with the Palazzo Pretorio and its coats of arms, is the heart of the town, while the Romanesque Pieve di San Giovanni, the 13th-century Church of San Lorenzo and the 19th-century Teatro dei Concordi add to its heritage.

The San Silvestro Mines Park

Just north of the town lies the San Silvestro Archaeological Mines Park, a protected area of some 450 hectares that preserves the full cycle of mining and metalworking from the Etruscan era to the 20th century. At its heart stands Rocca San Silvestro, a medieval village of miners and smiths founded around a thousand years ago to extract copper, lead and silver. Visitors can explore museums of archaeology and minerals and ride a train through the Temperino mine tunnel.

Practical information

Campiglia Marittima lies close to the beaches of the Etruscan Coast and the thermal baths of Venturina Terme, used since Etruscan and Roman times. It is well placed for trips to the Etruscan sites of Baratti and Populonia and for ferries to the island of Elba from nearby Piombino.