The ancient Etruscan city of Blera south east of Capalbio is built on a narrow spur of tuft rock between two lush gorges dense with vegetation, elms, poplars, willows, ferns, caves, small waterfalls, and a series of old Roman locks that direct the flow of the Biedano stream, all surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and forests.

Blera’s origins date back to the 8th century BC. It was an important and prosperous Etruscan city, with many necropolises in the area, and remained so during the Roman empire, when the ancient Via Clodia road ran through it from Rome north to Cosa on the coast at Argentario, crossing the Devil’s and Fortress bridges of Blera’s gorges on its way. Two popes were born here, the Lombards destroyed it in 772 AD, and it was passed around, battled over, and ravaged throughout the middle ages until it came under the proptection of the Papal states. Its beauty remains.