Just a few kilometers from the famous Etruscan finds of Vetulonia, Buriano is a small
medieval town nestled between the green woods and Maremma’s blue sky.
Built around the 10th century as a feud of the Aldobrandeschi family, to whom we owe the
construction of the first defensive walls, Buriano later passed under the dominion of the local
Lambardi family, until 1332, when they submitted it to Siena, who then ceded it to the
Pisans.
In 1398, Buriano was conquered by the Appiani family from Piombino, becoming part of the
Grand Duchy of Tuscany in 1815.
Among the main attractions to visit are the impressive Aldobrandeschi Fortress, an ancient
stronghold from which it was possible to dominate the valley where once flowed Lake Prile.
Today all that remains of the original structure of the castle, a compound with a polygonal
base and a fortified enclosure and inner courtyard, are the impressive ruins, some parts of
the walls and a gateway.
The main square is the town’s meeting point and here stands the famous white monument
dedicated to the fallen of the Great War.
A visit to the Roman-Gothic church of S. Maria Assunta is also highly recommended. The
church has a rectangular structure and a vaulted roof. In the inside of the church there is an
carved silver relic: the arm of St. Guglielmo, patron saint of the village.
Every year, on the second Sunday of Easter, there is a religious procession in honour of the
saint with the exposition of his relic. The procession starts from the village and ends at the
Romitorio (only 4 km away), built in 1597 where the Holy Virgin appeared to St. Guglielmo.
This is where he found his shelter before founding the monastery of Malavalle