MASSA MARITTIMA

massa marittima, a town and episcopal see of the province of grosseto, tuscany, italy, 24 m. n.n.w. of grosseto direct and 16 m. by rail n.e. of follonica (which is 28 m. n.w. of grosseto on the main coast railway), 1444 ft. above sea-level. pop. (1901), (town) 9219; (commune) 17,519. it has a cathedral of the 13th century containing a romanesque font (1267 with a cover of 1447) and a gothic reliquary (1324) of the saint cerbone, to whom the cathedral is dedicated. the battlemented municipal palace of the 13th century is picturesque. there are mineral springs, mines of iron, mercury, lignite and copper, with foundries, ironworks and olive-oil mills. at follonica on the coast, but in this commune, are the furnaces in which are smelted the iron ore of elba.