Mons Ritundus, referring to the almost conical shape of the hills where it stands, greets the visitor from amid green forests where its distinctive stone houses stand out, testifying to its medieval origins. At the beginning of 1200 it became the property of the Alberti counts who built a Citadel to defend the village.
Today some ruins and a complex of boundary walls that once enclosed the entire settlement still remain. Also visible are the elevated section of the Keep from the 14th century and the base of a tower that was later converted into a cistern. Other than the 17th century Town Hall and the adjacent Clock Tower, with obvious medieval structural origins, the most fascinating aspect of the town is the old quarter. The Palazzo delle Logge is located in the small piazza in the centre of the town. It was built in 19th century and has an open arcade on the ground floor, consisting of only columns and capitals.
The 16th century Church of San Lorenzo stands in the same piazza and contains an interesting 14th century painting of the Madonna and Child. The environment and nature are extremely important and of primary importance are areas of great geological interest. Preserved borehole constructions, "soffioni", demonstrate the use of these geysers as geothermal energy. Isolated from the hectic pace of daily life amid lush forests, it is the ideal place to relax and take enjoyable walks to investigate the surroundings.
Evidence of both mining and the use of thermal springs by the Romans, and later the Lombards, is clearly visible at nearby Frassine. The latter chose the spot to build thermal baths called 'Bagni di Re Porsenna' whose remains are open to the public. Frassine is also important for religious reasons. It has the only Sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the Maremma and is the destination of many pilgrimages with a much venerated antique wooden statue of the Madonna. This statue was once set amid the branches of an Ash tree (frassino) which was thought to possess magic powers and has now given its name to the Sanctuary.
The Banner of San Lorenzo. The town is divided into three districts: 'La Rocca', 'La Porta', and 'San Bartolomeo'. The feast, which is both religious and folkloristic, lasts two days: religious rituals are celebrated on August 9 in the Parish Church of San Lorenzo (Saint Lawrence). In the evening, at 9 o'clock, the image of the Saint is carried in a procession which unwinds along the streets of the town, in the presence of the representatives of the three districts. August 10 is the day of the "historical parade" during which the three districts commemorate an episode from the history of the 'Castello di Monterotondo' (Castle of Monterotondo). The day ends with the 'donkey race', and with the awarding of the Banner to the winner.
The Sanctuary of Frassine. After fleeing from Africa and from the persecutions of Aryans, Saint Regolo, with his desciples Cerbone, Felice, Giusto, Clemente and Ottaviano, landed on the beach of Populonia and retreated to a wooded area where the Sanctuary of Frassine now stands.
With him, he had a wooden sculpture of the Madonna. Towards 545, by order of Totila, Saint Regolo was decapitated in that spot. His body was brought to Lucca and the statue of the Madonna was brought to the 'Church of the Monastery of Saint Peter in Palazzuolo' near Monteverdi Marittimo. Venerated by the monks and the nearby populations, the statue of the Madonna was kept for five centuries in the Church of the Monastery until 1252 when the Monastery was attacked and destroyed by the Pannocchieschi. A monk names Mariano managed to escape with the statue.
He was headed for Massa Marittima but failed to get there and thus hid the statue among the branches of an Ash tree. After approximately one century, a local farmer noticed that one of his ox left the herd and headed for the woods alone. One day, the farmer followed the ox and found him kneeling down in front of the Ash tree where the statue of the Madonna was hidden. News of this miraculous discovery spread quickly and the nearby populations rushed to venerate the sacred Image. Miracles and granted favors continued to happen in the exact place where the statue was found. First, a Shrine was built and later, a Church. Today the Madonna del Frassino is revered throughout all of Maremma and the Sanctuary is the destination of many Pilgrimages.
Mons Ritundus, referring to the almost conical shape of the hills where it stands, greets the visitor from amid green forests where its distinctive stone houses stand out, testifying to its medieval origins. At the beginning of 1200 it became the property of the Alberti counts who built a Citadel to defend the village.
