Sieges and battles are part of the history of Maremma, as are its legends, a fun way to discover the real and fantastic past of Tuscan Maremma
Orlando’s hand in Sovana
The legend tells of Orlando, who would shrink a large boulder during the siege of Sovana, Grosseto, attacked by the troops of Charlemagne. This boulder is still visible and can be reached after about two kilometers going from Sovana to Pitigliano. The boulder of Orlando’s hand has always been subject of discussion on how it could take that particular shape of a hand closed on itself.
Again a legend about Orlando
This time, the village of Saturnia is under attack. It is said that Orlando leaped into the city with his powerful horse, climbing over the walls with one jump and leaving the footprint of the hoof which is still present
today. During the battle, Orlando noticed that his defeated enemies continued to appear before him, although they had already been killed. Legend goes that this happened because of this miraculous fountain in the village of Saturnia, a source that today denotes the importance of the thermal waters in this beautiful Tuscan village.
San Galgano and the sword in the stone
Galgano was a vicious and ferocious man, after the period of his youth in which he indulged in the way of pleasure, he had three revelations: two while dreaming and one vision of a particular place. While riding to the nearby Civitella, the horse deviated and led him to Montesiepi, which Galgano recognized as the place of the vision. In this place Galgano built the Abbey of St. Galgano, where the sword in the stone can still be seen.
