User:Kcensi/Sandbox

Tessannano is a "borgo", fortified mideaval village, naturally well protected by being on the top of a small mountain or hill. The area is know for Tuff, a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is traditionally the natural choice when constructing houses and beneath the village you find ancient caves, carved into this Tuff, where wine and oil was stored in the old days. Many of them are still in use today. The village is situated in Maremma and being 350 m above sea level, it has a stunning view to the sea, to the mountains in Tuscany. The Maremma is a vast area bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea, consisting of part of south-western Tuscany - Maremma Livornese and Maremma Grossetana ( province of Grosseto), and part of northern Lazio - Maremma Laziale (in the province of Viterbo) which is where Tessennano is situated. The village is about 20 k from the sea, and 20 k from the big volcanic lake of Bolsena. The area is know for the Etruscan civilization, which reigned here around 800 BC until the Romans took over. It is characterized by soft hills, some vines and endless rows of olive trees. The area is well know for the good quality of olive oil, and every family has it’s own olive oil, which they are proud of. Tessennano has is´s own quiet village rhythm, with the village clock ringing on the hour, during day time. The old village, particularly well preserved, consist of nothing more than 3 toppled stone streets, with a gate in each end of the central one: Via Roma. In ancient times there used to be a hanging bridge at both gates, which was closed at night or during dangerous periods. Tessennano for centuries had a consistent number of inhabitants of around 1000. Today it has around 350-400 inhabitants, a bakery, grocery, pharmacy, post office, hairdresser, bar and an air strip for ultra light planes. This could sound like a lot, but the village is pretty quiet, very authentic and in need of a boost of some kind of 'energy'.