The best road cycling routes around Campagnatico

The "Casa della Memoria" in Batignano (a hamlet of Grosseto) is linked to the historical enhancement of the medieval village and to local religious figures, such as the venerable Father Giovanni Nicolucci. The village, a former fief of the Aldobrandeschi family, preserves walls, towers, and a convent (Santa Croce) that safeguard local history.

Beautiful village as if suspended in time, the urban core, a handful of houses marked by narrow alleys, arches, churches, archaeological finds and small open spaces, is a paradise for those seeking a journey between tranquility and peace. The history that it carries behind it is full of important traces that can be discovered among the alleys simply by raising your eyes to capture aspects, details, images that evoke the past existence of the ancient inhabitants.

In the spectacular scenery of the Grosseto countryside, nestled between gentle hills dotted with olive trees, the small village of Batignano suddenly appears to the gaze of those who travel, which blends perfectly with the environment in an example of absolute harmony. The castle owes its importance in the Middle Ages to the mines from which silver and lead were extracted, to be located in the area towards Montorsaio. As if suspended in time, the urban nucleus, a handful of houses marked by narrow streets, small arches, churches, archaeological finds and small open spaces, is a paradise for those seeking a journey between tranquility and peace.

As if suspended in time, the urban core, a handful of houses marked by narrow alleys, arches, churches, archaeological finds and small open spaces, is a paradise for those seeking a journey of tranquility and peace. The history that it carries behind it is full of important traces that can be discovered among the alleys simply by raising your eyes to capture aspects, details, images that evoke the past existence of the ancient inhabitants. Once we reach the center of the town we discover the Pieve di San Martino that protects the remains of the Blessed Giovanni and the unique loggia that accompanies us to one of the open doors in the walls, from which it is possible to see a breathtaking view. But the beauties of the village are not limited to palaces and monuments: like any ancient village worthy of the name, Batignano pampers its visitors with pleasant folklore and spirituality events that take place throughout the year. Visit it during the Christmas period to discover it embellished with small nativity scenes that adorn balconies, streets, squares and even niches in the walls: one of the most particular is usually set up inside the old oven of the village, in a small room with a beaten earth floor. Even just to savor these atmospheres, this little Maremma jewel is worth a visit.

“La Nave” is a magical place…

the itinerary connects the city of Grosseto with the archaeological area and the Etruscan/Roman city of Roselle

The convenient Bagno Roselle cycle path connects the small urban center with the (closed) information point of the archaeological site. The cycle path winds among the olive trees, up to the hill where the Etruscan-Roman city stands. Spacious, two-way, protected from the road and very visible: an example of excellent use of road space to allow bikes to travel along this stretch of road safely.

Batignano is a characteristic medieval village, still today you can admire the remains of the city walls, the keep, the towers, the doors and a three-arched loggia. Like many other fiefdoms in the area, it belonged to the Aldobrandeschi family. The Walls of Batignano constitute the defensive system of the village, part of the municipality of Grosseto. A first city wall was built in Batignano during the 12th century to defend the noble area located in the upper part of the town. As time passed, the center increasingly expanded towards the concentric plateau located at a lower level than the pre-existing noble area; once this process was completed, there was the need to build a further defensive device that would protect the less ancient part. The construction of the new walls, more external than the pre-existing ones, continued between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and, once completed, they took on a roughly elliptical perimeter. In the following centuries, the Walls of Batignano followed the fate of the rest of the village, undergoing periods of decline followed by renovation and urban redevelopment works, which led, among other things, to incorporating some sections of curtain wall into the perimeter walls exteriors of residential buildings. The Walls of Batignano can be divided into two distinct concentric circles, an older internal one and a relatively more modern external one. The internal walls, trapezoidal in shape, have been almost incorporated into the external walls of the buildings located in the upper part of the centre, among which the ancient keep and a turreted building are recognisable. The external wall, roughly elliptical in shape, entirely delimits the village, alternating some sections of curtain which have perfectly preserved the original medieval characteristics (western bank of the circle) with others which are incorporated into the external perimeter walls of some buildings. Two doors open along the external wall (to the north-east and south-west), while a tower rises along the western bank.