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Day Trips
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Chiusi
According to Latin sources, Chiusi (km.2) was one of the oldest and important cities of the Etruscan dodecapoli. From the third century B.C., Chiusi gradually passed under the control of Rome, remaining crucial because it was located on the road that linked Rome to the Northern Etruria, following the Tiber river.
There are a lot of places where you can find evidences of the city's past. For example, you must not fail to visit the National Archaeological Museum: established in 1870, it offers an extensive exhibition of Etruscan archaeological finds and Greek and Roman pottery, all coming from the surrounding areas. Or you can visit the Etruscan necropolis of Poggio Renzo, where you can see the Tomba del Leone (Tomb of the Lion), the Tomba della Scimmia (Tomb of the Monkey) and the Tomba della Pellegrina (Tomb of the Pilgrim). In Chiusi you can also see the Cathedral, a 3-nave supported by columns of the Roman era. Then, from the Museum of the Cathedral you can access to the fascinating Labyrinth of Porsenna, a dense network of tunnels stretching for hundreds of feet below the town. Once identified as one of the four mazes that would have been part of the legendary tomb of the Etruscan king Porsenna, in reality it is probably a part of the water supply system the Etruscans built in the Archaic period. A few km from Chiusi you can find the lakes of Chiusi and Montepulciano, representing an area of outstanding natural value and a very pleasant destination for walks. |
andrea benedetti