Talamone

Its name, Talamone, dates back to Etruscan origins when the village, located along the southern coast of Tuscany, was known as
Tlamun
. At first the settlement stood on the hill of Talamonaccio where the Etruscans, around the 4th century B.C., built a temple in honor of the god Tinia, facing the sea as a landmark for vessels coming from the south.

Of the temple today there remain, still visible, the bases of some columns, the ruins of the sacred area and the magnificent pediment, on which is depicted the myth of the Seven Against Thebes, the famous tragedy of Aeschylus. The terracotta ornamentation was placed on the rear facade and, after touring almost all over the world in traveling exhibitions, is now preserved at the Archaeological Museum in Florence.

Twice Talamone was the protagonist of important events: the battle between the Romans and the Celts on their way to Rome, which took place in 225 B.C., and Gaius Marius’ march against Rome, which saw the village completely razed to the ground by Sulla for supporting the consul of the Roman Republic.

The proximity of the more malarial areas of the Maremma led Talamone to gradual abandonment except for the period when it became part of the Presidi State in the second half of the 16th century, during which some important coastal fortifications such as the tower of Head of Man and the Aldobrandesque fortress.

Talamone was one of the stopovers made by Admiral Nelson during his expedition to Egypt in 1798, but the small port is remembered, above all, for Giuseppe Garibaldi, who called there with the Thousand in 1860 to stock up on water and weapons.

Like most of the coastal towns of the Maremma, Talamone today is a renowned seaside resort where the sea, the coast and the splendid views are the stars of the summer seasons.

The special location also favors a thermal wind with a northwest direction always above 15 knots, making the village a favorite destination for lovers of surfing, kitesurfing and all water sports in general.

Talamone is also one of the gateways to the Maremma Park, with which it borders on the southern slope, and makes it possible to be able to visit this important green lung of the Maremma, the second to be established in Italy, which encloses within it one of the widest varieties of plant and animal species that live here disturbed only by the many tourists who visit it.

The particular beauty of the village of Talamone meant that, in 2008, it was chosen as part of the set of the James Bond film “Quantum of Solace” in which the main character has a meeting at the very Tower of Talamonaccio.