“Show and Tell”: Maremma, Tuscany

Italy “Show and Tell” is a weekly series published on Sundays where invited guests share 6 of their favorite photos from their trip to Italy or life in Italy, along with a short description.

This week, we’re excited to have Alexandra Korey share 6 of her favorite photos from Maremma, Tuscany. Alexandra is a Florence-based, Canadian-born art historian turned blogger and social media project manager. You can follow her blog and instagram posts on twitter @arttrav.

6 Favorite Instagram Photos on Maremma, Tuscany

One of the best things about living in Florence, in my opinion, is that you can easily get away from it. This is a novelty for someone who grew up in a city of 8 million people, which sprawls so far that 2 hours’ drive means you’re still in a populated area.

The city of Florence is surrounded by green hills, so if you live at its borders like I do, you can even go for after-work walks in these attractive areas. But as soon as the weekend hits, I’m outta here.

2 hours away and I’m in my adoptive small town of Sticciano in Maremma, an area of Tuscany that has yet to be entirely discovered by tourism, in part because it doesn’t contain any real “must sees”. Here are some of the things I love about Maremma, captured on Instagram.

1. The view from my town

I look out the window and I see this. I instantly relax. Much of Maremma looks like this – unadulterated green space, punctuated by small hill towns. This is due to the area’s history: once unhealthy swampland, it became agricultural only after WWII when the area was properly drained.

2. Farm fresh fruit and veg

Buying from the farm kinda beats the supermarket. That’s all I have to say about that.

3. Walking trails

Maremma is full of walking trails, marked by white and red stripes. Some are in woods, others through archaeological sites with Etruscan tombs, still others in the open countryside. This is one near the town of Cinigiano, where I visited another local blogger (her name is Katja and she writes a blog called Map it out Tuscany).

4. You can still see the stars

Light pollution in cities means you never really see the stars. There’s nothing more humbling than lying down on a rock and remembering how small you are. This photo was taken in August during the Perseids meteor showers. I have never seen stars quite like this.

5. Stepping back into the past

Scenes like this remind us that in rural Tuscany much of the past for which we are somewhat nostalgic is actually still part of the present.

6. Protected parklands

Maremma used to be one big swamp. Although we’re grateful that it has been drained and made inhabitable, we’re also fortunate that some parts have been preserved as wetlands that are a paradise for birds. The Diaccia Boltrona reserve, pictured here, is part of a network of protected areas in Maremma. This is a great area for nature lovers.

Thank you Alexandra for being part of Italy “Show and Tell” and sharing a hidden gem in Tuscany.

Have you been to Maremma, Tuscany? Share your experience with us in the comments below.