We are in the Maremma... A land that from the Tyrrhenian sea slopes up gentle hills to woody mountains, through ancient, unspoiled countryside.

It's in this land that, like a jewel, stands out the quaint village of Castiglione della Pescaia, a unique charming tourist place, characterized by its impressive medieval castle dominating the sea village, where time is measured by the song of the seagulls welcoming the return of the fishing boats.

While its history is mainly connected to the Etruscan people, whose traces you can find everywhere, nowadays its main property is the pureness of its unspoiled surroundings, extending from the clean beaches to places of great naturalistic importance, like the nearby Parco Naturale dell'Uccellina.

Thanks to its position, in the heart of Tuscany, where sea, nature and history form one whole, it has the best qualities to satisfy any customers, both the lovers of quietness and those who are looking for the most lively amusements. Diaccia Botrona Between Castiglione della Pescaia and Grosseto, nearby the pine-wood and the well known busy beach, there is the Diaccia Botrona, a marshy area that few people know and that for centuries has played a very important role in the history and evolution of the Maremma.

 Though much smaller than it was originally and besieged by resorts and farmed fields, it represents a tile in the complex mosaic of the coastal wet areas luckily preserved from the great reclaiming works.

Casa Rossa If, in fact, ponds, marshes and swamps once evoked a disquieting, desolate, scarcely productive world, now we are slowly learning how to value the richness and importance of these ecosystems, unfortunately rare by now.

Their ability to store enormous quantities of water in case of heavy rainfalls, so averting the danger of disastrous floods, and to refill the underground nappe, for example, are just a few of the vital functions they can perform. But, above all, in wet areas we can find an incredible variety of living organisms, both vegetable and animal.

They are real "gene banks", which can represent a source of economical development while safeguarding these frail wonderful natural environments and also contribute to preserve biodiversity, provided they are well protected and administered. How to reach the Diaccia Botrona After arriving at Castiglione along the provincial road n.3, of the Padule, or the main road n. 322, of the Collacchie, you must reach the Giorgini bridge over the river Bruna. Here you must turn left (right if you're coming from Grosseto) and drive along the road running parallel to the river, until you reach the parking area facing the Casa Rossa (Ximenes House). From the bridge of the old building you can admire a charming view of the whole wet area.

Ruins of the Medioeval monastery "La Badiola" placed on the Isola Clodia You can also reach the Diaccia Botrona from the west side: take the provincial road n.3 of the Padule towards Grosseto; at about seven Km from Castiglione you'll see a very small group of buildings called Ponti di Badia; here you must turn right, cross the bridge and drive along the non asphalted road until you reach the marshy area of the Diaccia Botrona.

Leave your car and walk along the main path as far as Clodia Island; if, on the contrary, you turn right, you can walk along the bank of the Collecting Canal that runs along the edge of the wide wet area on the western side. When and how to visit it March and September are, no doubt, the best months to visit not only the Diaccia but all wet areas. At the beginning of autumn, you can watch the gradual arrival of the migratory birds and of the ones which will stay in the area just for a few days' rest, before flying off again to reach the wintering lands farther south. October is the month when the landscape is the most charming, because the first rainfalls and signs of the coming Sunset in Diaccia Botrona winter tinge the marsh vegetation with extraordinary colours, such as the red of the saltwort and the violet of the limonium (statice) and aster flowers.

In winter months the marsh teems with birds, a real paradise for "birdwatchers", who can, through good binoculars, observe them eating, making "their toilet", resting or trying to fly away to escape from a predator. At springtime the new migratory phase begins: the limicolous birds, most of the anatidae and the great white herons fly off and other species take their place. Everywhere the marsh resounds with the songs of the various reedbirds, river larks and nightingales trying to allure a partner or delimiting their own reproduction territory.

In this period visitors must be very careful not to disturb the animals during their delicate reproductive phase; that's why they are advised to stop at the borders of the area without getting into it. Summer is definitely the least suitable period to visit the Diaccia Botrona: scorching heat, sultriness, dryness and mosquitos are pitilessly waiting for anyone who dare venture into the area.

However, if you succeed in overcoming these unfavourable conditions, better if early in the morning or at sunset, you'll be able to stay absolutely relaxed and in complete silence, listening to the marsh sounds from the top of Clodia Island or from Casa Rossa, singling out the unusual deep song of the bittern, the rustling of lizards and snakes through the vegetation, or simply the breeze blowing among the reeds. Not long from now, the Province of Grosseto will see to equipping the area to the tourists' enjoyment, organizing tracks and regulating the visits; while waiting for specific rules, we advise anyone going to visit the Diaccia Botrona to be absolutely respectful of the environment, without dirtying, disturbing the animals, lighting fires or damaging the vegetation by picking up flowers or uprooting small plants that would hardly live outside their habitat.