Venue
All courses take place in Gerfalco, a small village in the municipality of Montieri, in the Alta Maremma, area of Tuscany. The village is located at the foot of the Cornate, two mountains over 1000 metres high, within a natural reserve, a true paradise of great geo-mineral and scenic interest. The village resembles a small crib where its ancient houses climb the hill up to the sixteenth century Church of San Biagio. Close to Gerfalco you find the towns of Montieri, Travale, Boccheggiano, Massa Marittima, Siena, Chiusdino, Grosseto and Follonica, and the sea.
GERFALCO
Gerfalco is a charming village at the foot of the mountain Cornate. Its name comes from the medieval german words “ger-Falke”: “bearer of the hawk”.
In the past it was also an important mining seat. The built-up area conserves to this day the medieval atmosphere; the church of St. Biagio dated 1323 had an annexed convent which is nowadays a summer daycare centre.
MONTIERI
The glorious past of Montieri is due to the incredible wealth of its subsoil; the village was a medieval minig castle where silver and copper were extracted.
The town conserves to this day the medieval atmosphere; the narrow “via della ruga” head up towards the beautiful Romanesque Church of St. Giacomo. It still hides the crypt where the Blessed Giacomo spent his years of redemption.
TRAVALE
The historical archive in Volterra still conserves the old parchment called “La Guaita di Travale”, a 1158 document which contains one of the first statements of the italian vernacular.
In the old town a plaque celebrates the birth of the Italian Language.
BOCCHEGGIANO
The unique heart-shaped town of Boccheggiano rises up on a hill ca. 675m a.s.l..
Its history is also deeply linked with the mining activity: untill 1994 was active one of the biggest pyrite-mine in Europe.
During the 19th and the 20th century the mining finding in this area was so wild that it was compared to the West occupation in America.
Clear proof of the mining activity are the red badlands on the river Merse, called “Roste”. These red mountains are the result of an enormous mineral and atmospheric process occurred during the 19th century. Such process gave life to a unique Geosite”