The duomo in the heart of the the old medieval center of Grosseto flanked by the central Piazza Dante and the Aldobrandeschi palace. It is is the capital of the Maremma region and its largest town, founded fn the middle ages as the fief and power center of the ruling Aldobrandeschi family who battled – sometimes successfully, sometimes not – against the Republic of Siena for hundreds of years to retain its independence.

The bubonic plague that swept Europe in the mid 14th century almost destroyed the town, reducing it to a few hundred families, and it was further ravaged by the King of Sicily and lords of Perugia, but the populace persevered, and prospered under the rule of first the Medici of Florence, then the Hapsburg House of Lorraine. Until the Allies bombed it heavily during World War 2. Still, Grosseto thrives, and in 2024 is the first Italian city awarded the European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism accolade.