Ansedonia is a tourist town on the Tyrrhenian coast, close to the better-known Argentario. It is a suburb of Orbetello in the province of Grosseto in Tuscany. In the Middle Ages, it used to be a pirate den. Despite having fewer than 100 official inhabitants, the suburb is a well-known tourist hot spot.
Ansedonia (Orbetello)
Useful information
Ansedonia is located south of Orbetello itself and borders the Riserva della Feniglia natural park.
History and description
An important sight near Ansedonia is formed by the ruins of Cosa, a Roman colony from the 3rd century BC. Its city walls are still visible, as well as an arcopolis, the forum and the capitolium. The most important archaeological finds made here are in the adjacent museum.
There also used to be a harbour, the Portus Cosanus, of which the so-called Tagliata can still be seen. The Tagliata was a hydraulic structure carved into the rock that was meant to combat silting.
A ruin of an imperial-era villa can also be seen.
Tourist attractions in the surrounding area are formed by the Burano Lake Nature Reserve and the medieval hamlet of Capalbio.