Val di Cecina
Val di Cecina is an area of west-central Tuscany, spanning the provinces of Pisa and Livorno, stretching from the Etruscan hinterl...
Updated 20 July 2026
Val di Cecina
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The story
The story of Val di Cecina
A Territory Between Etruria and the Etruscan Coast
Val di Cecina takes its name from the Cecina river, which rises in the Colline Metallifere area near Montecatini Val di Cecina and flows for about seventy kilometres before reaching the Tyrrhenian Sea near Marina di Cecina. The territory is divided between the Alta Val di Cecina, in the province of Pisa, with Volterra, Pomarance and Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina, and the Bassa Val di Cecina, in the province of Livorno, with Cecina, Rosignano Marittimo and Bibbona. This stretch of Tuscany therefore combines inland hills, hilltop villages and a coastline known as the Costa degli Etruschi, the Etruscan Coast.
History and Etruscan Identity
The identity of Val di Cecina is rooted in Etruscan times: Volterra, the ancient Velathri, was one of the most important city-states of Etruria, as shown by its Etruscan walls, the Porta all'Arco gate and the necropolis preserved in the Guarnacci Etruscan Museum. In the Middle Ages Volterra became a free comune, with the Palazzo dei Priori, among the oldest town halls in Tuscany, and developed the traditional craft of alabaster carving, still a distinctive local activity today. In the twentieth century the Larderello area, in the municipality of Pomarance, became famous as the birthplace of the industrial exploitation of geothermal energy, begun in the early 1900s.
Landscape and Nature: Cliffs, Geothermal Hills and Pine Forests
The landscape of Val di Cecina alternates clay hills, woods and Mediterranean scrub with unique geological formations. Near Volterra lie the Balze, dramatic erosion cliffs formed by shifting clays and sands that over the centuries have swallowed part of the ancient town. In the hinterland of Pomarance and Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina, the so-called Valle del Diavolo, or Devil's Valley, takes its name from the boracic fumaroles and the biancane, white geothermal mounds wrapped in steam. Toward the coast the scenery softens into pine forests, dunes and the long shoreline of the Costa degli Etruschi, between Cecina, Bibbona and Rosignano Marittimo.
Villages and Places to See
Volterra is the valley's best-known destination, with its walled historic centre, the Roman Theatre, the Medici Fortress and workshops still carving alabaster. Pomarance preserves a medieval village and gives access to Larderello with its architecture linked to geothermal power, while Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina overlooks the Valle del Diavolo from a fortified stone hilltop core. On the coast, Cecina is a reference town with its pine forest and Marina di Cecina, Bibbona keeps a small hilltop village alongside its coastal hamlet of Marina di Bibbona, and Rosignano Marittimo includes the hilltop main town, Castiglioncello and the famous Spiagge Bianche, the White Beaches, of Rosignano Solvay.
Food, Wine and Traditions
The cuisine of Val di Cecina blends the flavours of the Tuscan hinterland with those of the coast. In the hills, dishes based on wild boar, mushrooms and truffle are common, served with Tuscan bread and pecorino cheese, while along the shore fish dishes linked to the Livorno seafaring tradition prevail. The territory is part of the Costa degli Etruschi wine area, which includes the Bolgheri DOC with internationally renowned red wines, and produces fine extra virgin olive oil. In Volterra the alabaster-carving tradition remains a defining local product, passed down through generations in the artisan workshops of the historic centre.
Not to be missed
- The historic centre of Volterra with the Roman Theatre and the Guarnacci Etruscan Museum
- The Balze di Volterra, the dramatic erosion cliffs overlooking the town
- The Larderello geothermal area and the Valle del Diavolo, in the municipality of Pomarance
- The Spiagge Bianche of Rosignano Solvay, famous for their turquoise sea
- The pine forest and shoreline of the Costa degli Etruschi between Cecina and Bibbona
To see
What to see in Val di Cecina
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Routes in Val di Cecina
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