Tuscany · Grosseto
Capalbio
A walled hilltop borgo in the southern Maremma, donated to the Abbey of Tre Fontane by Charlemagne and home of Niki de Saint Phalle's Tarot Garden.
Known for
GIARDINO DEI TAROCCHI
Niki de Saint Phalle sculpture park built between 1979 and 1998, twenty-two ceramic figures of the Major Arcana, opened in 1998.
LA PICCOLA ATENE
Nickname acquired in the late twentieth century for the borgo's hold on Roman political, literary and academic figures who summer here.
MAREMMA
Southernmost hilltop borgo of the Maremma grossetana, with territory running from Monte Calmata to the Lago di Burano coastal reserve.
When to visit
Best · May–Sep
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
The festa: Bernardino da Siena, 20 May
Why come
Capalbio sits on a hill above the southern Maremma, twelve kilometers from the Tyrrhenian coast and the last hill town before the border with Lazio. Charlemagne gave the land to the Abbey of Tre Fontane in 805; the Aldobrandeschi held it through the medieval period, the Orsini built the castle, and Cosimo I de' Medici took it in 1555. It became an independent commune in 1960.
The medieval walls and the Rocca Aldobrandesca define the centro storico; the surrounding territory runs from the wooded uplands of Monte Calmata down to the Lago di Burano nature reserve on the coast. The Giardino dei Tarocchi, four kilometers south, is the sculpture park Niki de Saint Phalle built between 1979 and 1998, twenty-two ceramic and mirrored figures of the Major Arcana set among holm oaks. The borgo is sometimes called the piccola Atene, the small Athens, for its hold on the Roman political and cultural class who summer here.
What to see
Rocca Aldobrandesca
Medieval fortress at the top of the borgo, later expanded by the Orsini, with a square tower and battlements that overlook the Maremma.
Mura medievali
Two concentric circles of walls enclosing the centro storico, with a walkable parapet that opens onto views toward the Argentario.
Giardino dei Tarocchi
Niki de Saint Phalle sculpture park four kilometers south, twenty-two ceramic and mirrored figures of the Major Arcana, opened to the public in 1998.
Chiesa di San Nicola
Romanesque parish church inside the walls, restored in the seventeenth century, with a fifteenth-century fresco of the Madonna with saints.
Oasi Lago di Burano
WWF-managed coastal lagoon reserve at the mouth of the comune, a major migration stop for waterbirds between Africa and northern Europe.
The slow-trip planner
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We recommend
Where to eat and stay
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to — a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
Agriturismo Antica PincianaAgriturismo
Agriturismo Antica Pinciana holds a Gambero Rosso listing.
Il FrantoioRistorante
Il Frantoio has one Gambero Rosso fork (76/100) to its name.
La Dogana by Enoteca la TorreRistorante
La Dogana by Enoteca la Torre carries a Gambero Rosso listing.
La SelvaRistorante
La Selva carries a Gambero Rosso listing.
Locanda RossaHotel
Locanda Rossa carries one Michelin Key.
The Sunday letter
Capalbio got its letter. One town every Sunday, free — the photo, the food, the festa.
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Living here
- Population 3,838
- Off the beaten pathi
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Rome, 1 h 53 min drive
- Regional capital Firenze, 3 h 1 min drive
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
The numbers
- Elevation: 217 m
- Population: 3,838
- Surface area: 187.36 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
Featured on
Capalbio appears on this themed pick from our Collections:
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