hamlet

A hamlet, in the Maremma, is a group of a few houses without a real square, without shops, often without a bar, sometimes with just one church and a hilltop cemetery. You won't find a bakery or a gas station there, and cell reception can drop in the valleys. What matters is knowing this before you hit the road: check the opening hours of the alimentari in the nearby village, bring water and fuel, and don't count on a restaurant ouvert à 13 h. Many hamlets no longer have year-round residents, but the older families still hold on to them. Respect the place, don't park in front of a gate, and ask before photographing an inhabited house.