Small village set on a high cliff of travertine (156 meters above sea level) in the municipality of Manciano, Saturnia is an important spa thanks to the presence of sulphurous water (37.5°C), which every year attracts people to sweat treatment, mud etc. 

There are historical documents dating back to 12th century who already speak of the benefits of Saturnia spa. Ancient legends lead back the village seat of the god Jupiter, who fled there during the expulsion from his heavenly throne. There are many examples of civilizations that go from going back to the neolithic period, Bronze Age, to the Etruscan, until arriving at the Romans. Etruscan tombs dating to the eighth century BC have been found in: Puntone, Pian D'Alma, Sede di Carlo, Pancotta, Costone degli Sterpeti, Campo delle Caldane. In 280 BC Saturnia was conquered by the Romans, that surrounded it by walls, establishing the seat of the prefecture. Saturnia underwent a first destruction in 82 BC by Silla because of retaliation, because it housed the fugitive Mario, then a second from the Saracens, having suffered the invasion of the Lombards. 

Only in the thirteenth century was a new revival, with the domain of the ancient family of the Aldobrandeschi, but after little more than two decades it was destroyed again by Siena, who later fortified it to defend itself from the counties of S. Fiora and Pitigliano, but Florence captured it making a marquisate under the Ximenes of Aragona.

What to see:

Piazza Vittorio Veneto: you can see the excavations who have unearthed Etruscan and Roman findings. 

Church of Santa Maria Maddalena: parish church that stands on the Roman ruins, was restored in 1933, retains some paintings attributed to Benvenuto di Giovanni (1480): The Madonna and Child, S. Sebastian, Mary Magdalen. 

Piazza del Bagno Secco: here is a large rectangular travertine pool that was used to collect water.

Sienese Fortress.

Via Clodia: Roman road with the presence of irregular slabs of travertine and "margines" vertical stone containment.

Roman Gate: dating from the third century BC retains the medieval walls.

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