The farm is called Tartuchino because the area is very popular with turtles, which have always found a favourable habitat here: we often encounter them exploring the scrub or crossing the road, slowly and boldly.
Not far from Casetta Tartuchino, the first Etruscan farm in the Maremma described in literature was found: this area was already cultivated at that time. And it continued to be so in the centuries that followed. But life was very hard, mainly because of malaria.
There is even a song about this:
Everyone tells me Maremma, Maremma…
But to me, it seems like a bitter Maremma.
The bird that goes there loses its feather
I lost someone dear to me.
So went the nineteenth-century song, at the time of the reclamation of the marshes, which are called paduli here. The coast had always been plagued by malaria: the reclamation of the Castiglion della Pescaia area was prompted by Grand Duke Leopold of Tuscany‘s grief over the death of his grandfather. This led to engineer Ximenes’ plans for water movement, so that mosquitoes would not reproduce by laying their eggs there. This was followed by other drainage systems using canals and the planting of trees with high water consumption (mainly pines and eucalyptus).
The Maremma Authority
The net improvement in living conditions came with the agricultural reform of the Ente Maremma, which assigned land taken from large landowners to farmers and gave them proper homes: on our hills, there are many houses built according to the Ente Maremma’s design, with a wood-burning oven and stable below, and the house above, with an external staircase leading up to it. The agrarian reform changed life in the countryside immensely. The Maremma is now a gentle land, yet it has managed to retain its somewhat wild purity.
Is the ground low?
The population density is still very low today, even lower than it was then: farms such as Tartuchino were once home to large families, and each member had their own role to play in running the farm. Nowadays, it is more difficult for young people to decide to stay and live in the countryside: if they can, they prefer to move to the city. Working the land is now infinitely less tiring, but still – as they say – “the land is low”.
On the contrary, there are young people born in cities, where job opportunities have decreased, who are considering moving to the countryside in order to enjoy a healthier and more natural lifestyle.
I, in truth, understand them. Also because things have changed a bit now.
Today, Tartuchino is a farm nestled in the beauty of the Tuscan Maremma, perched atop a hill overlooking a landscape dotted with olive groves, woods and cultivated fields: the view stretches from the Argentario to the mountains.
The surroundings of Tartuchino
In the surrounding area, there are medieval villages where you can stroll through the atmosphere of times gone by and find interesting handicrafts, food products and gifts. Six of the villages listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy are in the Grosseto area of the Tuscan Maremma (Pitigliano, Sovana, Santa Fiora, Montemerano, Giglio Castello, Porto Ercole) (http://borghipiubelliditalia.it/). Personally, I would add Rocchette di Fazio.
Five artists, enamoured with the Maremma, decided to create theme parks that are open to visitors.
Nature
The sky we can admire today is free from light pollution: it is the same sky that the inhabitants of the Etruscan farmstead contemplated. Perhaps they too sat outside gazing at the stars and listening to the chorus of frogs or the calls of wild animals. Here, walking along the paths, you may encounter hares, roe deer, wild boars, foxes and various species of birds. There have been successful projects to reintroduce birds that had disappeared from the area, such as the red kite; attempts are also being made to reintroduce the Egyptian vulture. The presence of wolves in the area has also been reported, but sightings are extremely rare.
For trekking enthusiasts, excellent guides can accompany you on walks and illustrate the wonders of the flora and fauna, as well as recount stories and legends linked to our territory. If, on the other hand, you are passionate about cycling, take a look at this link: https://www.fiabgrosseto.it/images/pdf/15-Roccalbegna-Semproniano.pdf .
In the surrounding area, you can visit WWF nature reserves and parks with different ecosystems, from lagoons to mountains.
Sometimes it’s nice to just laze around and relax, even in the middle of winter, in the warmth of the sulphurous waters of the Saturnia Thermal Baths.
In cold weather, fog rises around the old mill near the Gorello waterfalls, formed by the sulphurous spring located inside the spa.