After the fall of Siena in 1555, Florence took the control over Maremma; only the fortified garrisons on the coast remained in the hands of the Spaniards. Unfortunately, Cosimo I de` Medici and his successors were interested in protecting the coast and Maremma experienced a long period of decadence. Many areas were abandoned due to the spread of malaria. The main towns turned in upon themselves, their economy based on subsistence agriculture and farming.

Renaissance had only a marginal effect on culture in Maremma ; nevertheless, the Museo del Medioevo e del Rinascimento (Museum of the Middle Ages and Renaissance) that is hosted in the Orsini fortress in Sorano (www.museidimaremma.it/it/museo.asp?keymuseo=27) houses some important examples of Renaissance art.

The Lorraines, the Grand Dukes of Tuscany from 1737, made the first attempt to regenerate Maremma and its economy. Peter Leopold, in particular, loved this region and made significant investments and devoted to the reclamation of the marshy lands. Due to his bushy reddish-blonde hair, he was called " Canapone ". Peter Leopold has played so important a role in the history of Maremma , that the interesting statue in Piazza Dante, in Grosseto represents him as he lifts up a beautiful kneeling woman (representing Maremma ), while crushing a snake, the symbol of malaria.

The reclamation program was completed in the 20th century, under the Fascism. In the same period, due to an agrarian reform new quality crops and bovine species were introduced, new infrastructures were built and some programmes supporting peasant immigration in Maremma were issued. After World War II people moved to the plain and the coast. Agriculture flourished and new industrial and craft activities developed, such as chalk industries, wineries, spas and tourism-connected businesses.

Probably it is due to Maremma`s difficult past that people remain spellbound by the enchanting beauty of its landscape and coast. Maremma is no longer " amara " (as in a well-known folk song); nowadays Maremma is the land of colours and hospitality: the ideal destination for those who dream of relaxing holidays with the right mix of culture and nature!