What is the only Etruscan maritime city in Tuscany?

The only Etruscan city in Tuscany built directly on the seashore is Populonia, on the promontory overlooking the gulf of Baratti, in the present-day municipality of Piombino. The distinction matters: other Etruscan cities traded through coastal ports, but Populonia itself was located on the shoreline.

Its position served in particular for the working and trading of iron: the ore coming from theisland of Elba was processed in the region, then shipped by sea. Today, the remains can be visited in the archaeological park of Baratti and Populonia. Below, near the gulf, you will find Etruscan necropolises; above, on the acropolis, traces of the ancient city, including the sacred way and buildings from the Roman era. The present-day village, with its medieval fortress, should therefore not be confused with the Etruscan city: it occupies the same promontory, but tells of a much more recent period.