We leave south of Follonica (Li) to explore a part of the VAL DI CORNIA, a little-known area in the hinterland of the ETRUSCAN COAST.
We skirt northwards, passing the NATURAL AREA OF THE STERPAIA to head towards the first goal of the day: SASSETTA.
Sassetta is a village in the Val di Cornia; a small town of about five hundred inhabitants made up of houses built on a hill with narrow streets and small squares. In addition to being famous for its small but very ancient baths, Sassetta owes its fame to its red marble, unique in the world, which stonemasons and sculptors have always worked magically.
After about forty flat kilometers, a ten kilometer climb awaits us that takes us from sea level to 480 m, with an average altitude difference of 5%. Nothing impossible, but it makes itself felt when we face short challenging stretches with gradients of up to 18%.
Sassetta owes its name to the Latin word saxum, rock, therefore sassetta or small rock.
Of very ancient origins, its thermal springs were already known and appreciated in the Etruscan and Roman times and mentioned several times in documents from the 13th century onwards.
If you come to the sea in this area, write it down in your travel notes!