OUR HISTORY:
The “Corte di Ardengo - Associazione Cavalcanti dell’Ardenghesca“ is the natural result of our two great passions in life: one is the search for a life on a human scale surrounded by well preserved countryside; the other is the horse, a marvellous animal and an ideal companion to explore these magnificent places, possessing a perfect balance between beauty, harmony, strength and freedom.
After the setting-up in 1996 of the "Circolo Cavalcanti Valle del Ticino", we have transformed our passions into an Association in Maremma in order to offer our guests the chance to relax and enjoy the slow pace of Maremma life, whilst taking time off from the rest of the world. The purpose of the Association is the promotion of riding treks and the knowledge of the “maremmano” horse and riding style.
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Pian di Castelluccio |
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Civitella Marittima |
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The etruscan Vulci Bridge |
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Wild cows near the Fiora river |
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Our simple stone house, which dates back to the 17th century, is in the centre of Civitella Marittima, an historic village located on a hilltop between Siena and Grosseto. Our rooms have been restored in typical Tuscan style: ceilings with old beams, terracotta floors and antique furniture. From the little garden, where breakfast can be served, there is a wonderful view of Monte Amiata and the hills that slope down towards the sea.
Our horses are all “maremmani”, bold and generous, mounted with the typical Butteri saddles; we ride through unspoilt forests where many wild animals still live. There are wild boars, roe-deers, fallow-deers, badgers, foxes and a few woolves; we ride to castles and millenium abbies like San Galgano and Sant’Antimo; we explore the “tagliate” (narrow paths dug out of the rocks), etruscan hermitages and necropolis; we ride amongst wild horses and cows who graze on the sea shore.
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Pelagone Lake - Vulci |
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Sara, Zaffiro and the sea |
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There is the life in the village, with it’s narrow streets where the smells and sounds have remained the same over the years. The rhythm of life here is punctuated by the seasons: the wine and the cestnuts harvests, the olive harvest and the gathering of mushrooms.
There is good food and delicious wine at the “Locanda nel Cassero” slow-food restaurant, which is very near to us, or at the many good restaurants around Civitella.
There are the thermal baths of Petriolo, which are located at about 10 km from us. They were well known in Roman times; their sulphureous water, which gush out at 43° C on the Farma river bank , has many curative properties, which were appreciated over the centuries by Popes and Princes.
We believe that the best way to get to know the Maremma is to find out it’s deep essence, in it’s inhabitants every day life, the magnificence of the landscape, the abundance of local produce and the strength of it’s traditions.
We wait for you…
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Tagliata di Castro |
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Castello di Poggio alle Mura |
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