Itinerary details

The Val di Cornia, in the lower Livorno area, is one of the hidden gems of Tuscany, obscured by the nearby Elba Island, with which it shares a lot in terms of terrain and type of territory; its territory includes Piombino and the lesser known municipalities that can be visited along part of the Wine and Oil Road of the Val di Cornia, in the heart of the Doc area.

It starts from Campiglia Marittima, a medieval town of Etruscan origins. Just outside the city is the San Silventro Archaeological Mines Park, evidence of the ancient exploitation of the area's underground resources. In addition to extra virgin olive oil and wine, the city is famous for the schiacciata campigliese, a crunchy cake to be enjoyed together with the locally produced passito white wines. In Campiglia there is the Jacopo Banti Winery, where the local fine wines are produced: Val di Cornia Doc Vermentino, Val di Cornia Doc Aleatico Passito, Val di Cornia Doc Cabernet Sauvignon, Val di Cornia Doc Bianco, Val di Cornia Doc Rosso; the cellar is available for tastings and guided tours in Italian and English.

Coming down from Campigli, continuing towards the hinterland, you reach Suvereto, a town in the center of the Doc area, close to the Montioni Natural Park. The strong wine vocation of the town is reflected in the Palio di Suvereto, held in May and August, in which the competitors push a large barrel of wine through the ancient streets of the village; among the gastronomic specialties we remember the wild boar, the violet artichoke and the spinach. Suvereto is one of the oldest municipalities in the coastal area, and is counted among the most beautiful villages in Italy. In the immediate surroundings you can find numerous wineries and wineries mostly dedicated to the fine wines of the area. We recall here the farmhouse and farm Gualdo del Re, producer of Bianco Toscano Igt, Val di Cornia Doc Vermentino, Val di Conia Doc Rosato, Val di Cornia Doc Suvereto Sangiovese, Val di Cornia Doc Suvereto Cabernet Sauvignon, Val di Cornia Doc Suvereto Merlot; guided tours are held in Italian and English.

Not far from Suvereto, heading north along the provincial road number 18, we find the village of Sassetta, at the foot of Monte Calvi, included in the Poggio Neri naturalistic-forest park and famous for walks in the surrounding woods. Continuing north-east, you enter the reliefs of the Metalliferous Hills until you reach the municipality of Monteverdi Marittimo, which is already in the province of Pisa and is known for the Romanesque architecture of its buildings. The Villetta di Monterufoli farmhouse produces wines from grapes grown in an organic oasis, and offers guided tours and tastings of its Val di Cornia Doc and Val di Cornia Doc Vermentino.