Holiday apartment in Poggio Cavallo: Maremma between history and river

Poggio Cavallo combines the history of an old Maremma estate with the landscape along the Ombrone. The restored old village of Poggio Cavallo welcomes its guests with an authentic atmosphere connected to a 19th-century Maremma estate. Between the farmstead, riverbank and olive grove, history, water management and agriculture come together in Poggio Cavallo.

History, water management and sacred traces

Among the site’s older historical references is the Fattoria di Poggio Cavallo, which was established approximately between 1769 and 1792. Another historical trace is the Ponte Tura, built on the right bank of the Ombrone in 1829 and also known as the Steccaia. Ponte Tura and Steccaia refer to the same structure. In the lower reaches of the Ombrone, the Steccaia regulated a complex system of locks and weirs. Regulating the water made land available for agriculture. Along the Ombrone, water management thus became an additional aspect of the estate’s history. The historic Fattoria and the water-management structure thereby connect the history of the estate with the use of the river water.

Smaller remains also form part of the hamlet’s history. A church once stood in the agricultural hamlet of Poggio Cavallo; only a partially intact holy-water font remains, not the complete building. The sacred connection therefore belongs to the hamlet’s earlier history, not to a fully preserved church building.

Olive groves and Tuscan culinary culture

The agricultural character of the Maremma is also evident in the olive grove of Poggio Cavallo. The olive grove of Poggio Cavallo covers approximately 19 hectares and contains more than 4,200 trees. Frantoio, Moraiolo and Leccino are grown on this land.

The Tenuta di Poggio Cavallo is located on the left bank of the Ombrone River and was home to an olive mill that remained in operation until the 1980s. The Tenuta di Poggio Cavallo’s extra virgin olive oil received IGP Toscano certification in 2017. For those interested in culture, Poggio Cavallo therefore offers specific aspects of regional culinary culture: the olive grove, the former olive mill and the estate’s certified oil.

River landscape and regional destinations

For a walk across the Steccaia, the top of the dam can be crossed on foot when the river is dry in summer; this seasonal condition is therefore directly relevant to planning a visit to this section of the river.

In the immediate surroundings of Poggio Cavallo are the Museo di Storia Naturale della Maremma, Palazzo Chiarini and Palazzo Stefanopoli-Porciatti. These destinations are located in the immediate vicinity of the village and complement the historical traces along the Ombrone with further cultural points of reference.

The Monte Bottigli, Poggio della Rustica and Palazzo Stella d'Italia are also located in the area around Poggio Cavallo. In the wider regional surroundings of Poggio Cavallo are Medusa and Oasi beaches.

Other places in the surrounding area

Other places in the surrounding area: Montepescali, Alberese, Marina Di Grosseto, Istia D'ombrone, La Principina, Principina A Mare, Santa Maria Di Rispescia, Bagno Roselle.

To the main travel overview: Grosseto.