In a dominant position over the town of Manciano, the Cassero, or Rocca Aldobrandesca, is the most representative historic building of the Tuscan village.
The keep was built in the 12th century, at the behest of the Aldobrandeschi family, already lords of Manciano, for two centuries the family held power, until 1300, when it was occupied by the Orvietani and then by the Orsini counts, lords of the county of Pitigliano, Sorano and Sovana. The Orsini ruled until the 17th century, to then pass power to the Republic of Siena and finally to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
Resting on a quadrangular base and surrounded by imposing curtain walls, it consists of two sections, a wider one with a lower height, and a taller one, which is the tower, or turret (so affectionately called by the locals).
The turret is the most iconic element of Manciano, it stands out from above and is visible from every part of the Maremma!
Due to their position, the keep and the turret offer a breathtaking view over the whole Tuscan Maremma, ranging from the sea to the mountains, with the splendid islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, the Isola del Giglio and the Isola di Montecristo, the gentle hills and the beautiful cultivated countryside, different in every season of the year…
For this particularity (almost unique), Manciano has also been nicknamed "The Spy of the Maremma".
