Rocca San Silvestro is a fortified village that originated around the 10th century, thanks to the extraction of the very rich mineral deposits in the area. This fascinating complex is located within the San Silvestro archaeo-mining park, in the municipality of Campiglia Marittima, in the Upper Maremma, in the province of Livorno.
It is located precisely on the ridge of Monte Rombolo, at an altitude of 331 meters above sea level. The entrance to the park is located along the provincial road that connects Campiglia Marittima to San Vincenzo. From the top of the mountain you can admire a panorama that extends over the Lanzi and Temperino Valleys, allowing you to see both the Tower of San Vincenzo and the Rocca di Campiglia.
These three towers are part of a defensive network that crosses the entire Val di Cornia, placed in strategic positions for monitoring and protecting the territory from possible attacks, while at the same time facilitating communication between the various fortifications.
The hilly area of Campiglia is renowned for its mineral deposits, particularly rich in copper and argentiferous lead, which in the past were essential for the production of the coins of the Tuscan mints.
The landscape, characterized by reliefs and valleys, is traversed by two parallel strands of porphyritic rock, along which columns of minerals have formed, sometimes reaching thicknesses of hundreds of meters. Thus, Rocca San Silvestro, like other nearby castles (Biserno and Acquaviva), emerged in an area of significant mining importance.
The Rocca’s monumental complex reopened to the public in 2008 after careful and thorough restoration.
