La Fattoria di Tatti has an illustrious history. Originally built in the 18th century as the summer villa of the Italian/French Marquis Giovanni Barabesi Bourbon Di Pitrella, it later became the residence and central command place of his "Fattore" who managed thousands of acres of his land during the old Italian feudal system. From the Fattoria, he could literally oversee the smaller farms, all of which, until today, still bear the powerful insigna of the Marquis; the crowned eagle. After land reform laws went into effect in the 1950's, all of the Marquis' land was split up. The Fattoria was thus divided into an apartment building, an administrative headquarters and a maternity school. Nuns took over the top two floors where the Fattoria is now. They lived there, ran the school, and in summer, invited orphans from Rome to enjoy the cool, fresh air of Tatti. The Maremmani are known -like all Tuscans- to live their life in their own way. Beeing descendents of the Etruscans who once dominated this area, they resisted the dominance of Rome and the Roman Catholic Church through the centuries and developed early systems of collaboration when working the land. Through hard work and determination they have managed to preserve their history and their land. The Maremma has seen its cycles, belonging in succession to Benedictine Monks, the Knights of Malta and the grand-dukes of Leopoldo di Lorena. Now what remains it's as true as nature itself: the semi-wild horses and rare white cattle of the region, the strong, silent Butteri who make their rounds across vast ranches in rain, or shine. No wonder the word still goes that the Maremma is the last wild west of Europe.