L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Continued from page 4 century AD. Archaeological findings show that, starting from the 4 th century, the building was also used to produce olive oil, only to be fully abandoned a century l a t e r . A l l f i n d i n g s unearthed are today dis- played at the Museo Arche- ologico della Cinquantina, in Cecina. A s w e m o v e f u r t h e r s o u t h , t h e t o p o g r a p h y begins to transition. Moun- tains edge further inland, while dunes rise forming a barrier between the mag- netic blue waters and glens of pine and juniper. Soft sandy beaches of glimmer- ing white become more fre- quent in spectacular places s u c h a s S a n V i n c e n z o a n d R i m i g l i a n o w h e r e f r e e b e a c h e s l a y i n t e r - s p e r s e d a m o n g s t b e a c h clubs and their amenities. Bathing, snorkeling, kayak- ing, and other water sports find a perfect home in the shallow, unbelievably clear, and clean waters. Pet own- e r s w i l l f i n d o p t i o n s f o r d o g - w e l c o m i n g b e a c h e s along this stretch, some- thing that is by designation- only in Italy. Sorry, dear Rover! Soft, white sand is great but keep heading south for magnetic sands…literally ... a l o n g t h e G u l f o f B a r a t t i j u s t n o r t h o f Piombino. The Gulf, and n e a r b y P o p u l o n i a , a r e cause for the placename of this swath of Tuscany, as well as the unusual quali- t i e s o f t h e s a n d . L a r g e amounts of ore were mined in Etruscan times on the nearby island of Elba, as w e l l a s i n t h e a d j a c e n t Campigliese Mountains. Iron production and export, a l o n g w i t h a c o n v e n i e n t seaside location combined to make Populonia an Etr- uscan port of great wealth and importance. Yet as time has a way of doing when civilizations come and go, the remains of Etruscan, then Roman life eroded into the sands of time…and the sands of the Gulf of Baratti. E n t e r t a i n y o u r s e l f w h i l e waiting for that huge lunch to settle by placing a mag- net into the glittering sand. Like magic, iron particles will cling and collect, even to the point of being able to create your own shapes and patterns! The Gulf of Baratti not o n l y o f f e r s m i l e s o f u n s p o i l e d b e a c h e s b u t i s also a haven for sailing and s u r f i n g , e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e w i n t e r . I n l a n d h i k e s a r e quite popular, including a trail leading to Piombino, the end of the road for the Costa degli Etruschi. Too numerous to cover h e r e , t h e E t r u s c a n C o a s t beaches are worthy destina- tions unto themselves. But there is a whole lot more to this coastal region of spec- tacular Tuscany! Campsites are abundant, along with h i k i n g a n d b i k i n g r o u t e s ranging from easy to get- y o u r - a t t e n t i o n . T h e r m a l baths sound good? You'll find them here, too, along with a multitude of charm- ing medieval villages. The l o c a l f o o d a n d w i n e a r e deserving of a long list of accolades, including four DOC wines. Several impor- tant and fascinating archeo- l o g i c a l s i t e s a w a i t e x p l o - ration for history buffs, in particular the Archeologi- cal Park of Baratti and P o p u l o n i a a n d i t s 8 0 hectares of ruins, including t h e l a r g e s t n e c r o p o l i s i n Italy. The park was opened in 1998 to make accessible a number of Etruscan archae- ological sites, including one discovered only two years prior, in 1996. It is here that visitors can see the Tomba dei Carri, one of the largest tombs ever built by the Etr- uscans. In case you are into these things, the park has also an archaeological cen- ter where visitors can create ancient objects following a r c h a e o l o g i c a l l y a t t e s t e d techniques: a nice way to spend an afternoon! The choices for a memo- rable vacation along the Etr- uscan Coast are innumer- a b l e ; t r u l y t h e r e i s something for everyone! No matter what might suit your tastes, the gift of a stunning sunset over the Tyrrhenian Sea awaits at the end of each d a y , t h e p e r f e c t b u o n a notte to your Etruscan Coast adventure. The ancient fishing port and citadel in Piombino (Photo: Roberto Nencini/Dreamstime) The Costa degli Etruschi, as we call it in Italy, takes its name from the ancient and for-a-long-time mysterious Etruscan people, who inhabited Tuscany and parts of Emilia and Lazio between the 9th and the 1st century BC Castello del Boccale, Livorno, on a windy day (Photo: Digitalsignal/Dreamstime)

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