Located halfway between the countryside of the Maremma and the Etruscan Coast, Cecina is a lively and modern locality rich in history and traditions. Its origins are very ancient, just think of the name of the city and of the river running through it. According to experts, is derived from that of an influential etruscan family of the territory: the Keikna or, as they were called by the romans, Caecina. As evidence of its former glory, on its territory there are traces of an ancient domed tomb and the villa of San Vincenzino that belonged to a roman consul. Many other historical artifacts found on its territory, especially jewelry and objects of daily use, are now preserved at the Archaeological Museum.Dante described this area as a tangle of weeds and marsh, the medieval Maremma was indeed an unhealthy and sparsely populated place. That's why the present town developed only after the land reclamation promoted by the Grand Duke Leopold II in the second half of '800. Cecina is today an important town, a point of reference for the territory both for modern industry and for tourism.Being the immediate access point to the sea of Siena and Volterra hinterland, its coastline has always been popular, but became a real tourist center only in the 60s at the same time of the economic and demographic boom in Italy. The seaside village of the town, Marina di Cecina or Cecina Mare, is assaulted every summer from italian and foreign tourists. Despite this, it remains a place of vacation rather quiet and very relaxing. The large golden sandy beaches and the reefs that remain low up to several meters from the shore make of Cecina the ideal destination for family holidays. In addition, since 2006 the city has been awarded every year with the prestigious Blue Flag, a european recognition that attests the quality of water and services for tourists. But the sea is not the only gem of this picturesque town: along the coast develops the Biogenetic Reserve of the Tombolo di Cecina, a large pine forest more than 15 km long. It is protected by the State Forestry Department because have a large and varied vegetation and it's inhabited by rabbits, foxes, porcupines, deer and badgers in addition to specimens of green woodpecker, wood pigeon and hoopoe.