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The province of Grosseto’s second largest city, Follonica, is located in the heart of Tuscany’s metal-bearing hills between the tilled countryside and the marvelous Tyrrhennian coast. Its name is derived from Fulla (foundry) and seems to indicate that a settlement had developed here linked to activities pertinent to a foundry such as mining in the Metal-bearing hills as well as on the Island of Elba that can be seen from Follinica’s extensive beaches. Like so many others, the history of this Tuscan city also begins with the Etruscan civilization – which built the first settlements on the territory – followed by the Romans and ends up (like every territory in Maremma) being included in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
Often chosen as a destination for a summer beach resort, Follonica is also worthy of a brief tour of the Church dedicated to Saint Leopold and its Ex-Ilva complex. The Church of Saint Leopold is the only one in Italy that has a façade almost completely out of cast iron (much use of metals was also adopted in the church’s interior) and was the result of a design by architect Alessandro Manetti in collaboration with Carlo Reishammer. The Ex- Ilva complex is a set of buildings dating back to the late 19th century representing a typical façade of the industrial architecture of the times. Access to the complex is by way of Via Bicocchi through its monumental gate, also designed by Reishammer: reminiscent of classic structures and built with an infinity of “melted pieces”. The two oldest buildings of the city are the Casa Goba, the watchtower later used as a customs office, and the Casa del Popolo now used as a police station.
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