Chiusi

Chiusi Cathedral

The Chiusi cathedral, officially the co-cathedral of San Secondiano, is a church in the early Christian style dating back to the 6th century, though throughout its long history it has been remodelled several times, most recently in 1894, which gave it its present appearance.

The exterior of the church is particularly striking, with its freestanding bell tower dating from the late 16th century, which was created by transforming an ancient defensive tower. Beneath it lies a Roman swimming pool from the 1st century BC featuring two barrel-vaulted chambers.

Inside Chiusi cathedral, amongst the three naves separated by marble and travertine columns, there are some genuinely worthwhile religious artworks, including various frescoes and paintings. The fresco in the apse, one of the finest, depicts the martyr Ursula and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. In the right nave there is also a chapel with a beautiful fresco by Arturo Viligiardi, dating from the late 19th century.

Church of Santa Maria Novella

In the heart of Chiusi, on Piazza XX Settembre, stands the church of Santa Maria Novella, worth visiting as it was built over the remains of an earlier church, of which only the apse and bell tower remain. Like the cathedral, the bell tower was constructed from an ancient defensive tower.

The exterior of Santa Maria Novella is not particularly ornate, being small and plain, but do visit the interior as excavations carried out in the 1980s uncovered two old houses from the imperial era, on whose foundations the original church was built in the 11th century.

National Etruscan Museum of Chiusi

Testament to Chiusi’s important past and that of its surroundings is the National Etruscan Museum of Chiusi. Founded in 1871, it displays finds from the successive excavations conducted in the area, ranging from ancient canopic urns to sarcophagi, and encompassing Lombard art and Roman-era ceramics.

It is run by the ministry for cultural heritage and activities through Tuscany’s museum network, and was completely refurbished in 2003. The displays, arranged chronologically and thematically, occupy numerous rooms, whilst the ground floor houses Hellenistic and Roman period finds.

With a ticket to Chiusi’s national archaeological museum you can also visit some Etruscan tombs in the Poggio Renzo necropolis.

Cathedral Museum and Porsenna's Labyrinth

Inside the Bishop’s Palace, situated on Piazza del Duomo, is housed the cathedral diocesan museum and Etruscan tunnels of Chiusi, one of the city’s most interesting museums.

It contains numerous archaeological finds and artworks discovered throughout Chiusi diocese across its entire territory, spanning from the 2nd to the 20th century. The museum is spread over three floors with the exhibition divided into four sections.

Porsenna’s Labyrinth

From the diocesan museum you can access Porsenna’s Labyrinth, a series of tunnels and narrow underground passages dating to the 1st century BC, constructed by the Etruscans originally as an aqueduct. You can thus walk within the original Etruscan water supply system, which is quite extensive and comprises numerous passages up to one metre wide and between 2 to 5 metres high. As you walk you’ll encounter cisterns and basins used to collect water from seepage.

During excavations within the tunnels, numerous interesting finds came to light, including a section of the city’s old defensive walls, remains of a private villa and numerous urns made of alabaster and travertine.

The curious name “Porsenna’s Labyrinth” derives from the mausoleum of Porsenna, an ancient Etruscan king who, according to Roman historians, was buried together with an immense treasure, which was protected by a labyrinth. Regrettably, when archaeologists discovered the tunnels and galleries in the 1920s, convinced they were part of the mausoleum, they had to think again: there was no trace of the mausoleum in Chiusi.

Lake Chiusi

For a day in the open air, nothing beats a trip to Lake Chiusi, just a few kilometres north-east of the centre. It is Tuscany’s second largest lake, and since 2000 the southern shore between Sbarchino and Poggio Casale has been part of a WWF nature reserve covering 8 hectares.

On the lake you can observe numerous bird species, including some quite rare ones. The lake also serves as a stopover for migratory birds, amongst them the osprey and the collared pratincole. Its waters are home to numerous crustaceans originally from elsewhere, introduced by humans, such as the Louisiana crawfish and the American crayfish.

On the southern shore of the lake you can spend days of pure relaxation: there are restaurants, fishing and boating sports associations, whilst events and festivals are frequently held. The most important is undoubtedly that held on 3 July, the feast day of Saint Mustiola, patron saint of Chiusi, when a commemorative crossing is staged and the lake is blessed.