The town of Chiusi, whose early settlements date back to the Iron Age, was one of the Etruscan religious city states.

Its importance is associated with the charisma of the legendary king Porsenna, who went down in history for the military action against Rome at the end of the 6th century BC.

In every corner of the town you can breathe in the Etruscan presence and there are many details that refer to Porsenna, starting with the numerous underground tunnels that recall the labyrinths described by Pliny the Elder.

According to his testimonies, beneath the town of Chiusi there were four underground labyrinths – secret entrances into the great mausoleum with Porsenna’s burial place. The ruler would have been buried with a cart drawn by four horses in gold carving, with a sarcophagus, also gold, and a hen with 5,000 gold chicks.

We now know that the underground routes were part of a water supply system dug by the Etruscans, but this neither detracts from their charm nor the magical atmosphere here.

We recommend the tour of the Labirinto di Porsenna, accessed from the Cathedral Museum, which also involves passing through a large Roman Etruscan cistern and the chance to climb up the bell tower to enjoy a superb view from on high.

Another underground route, connected to the town museum, begins in the cellars of the home of a noble Chiusi family, the Bonci-Casuccini, who discovered the maze of tunnels during excavations to extend the cellars. They thought that they were perhaps just a step away from Porsenna’s mythical treasure.

In this lovely context there is an interesting epigraphic museum with hundreds of Etruscan funerary urns and just as many tiles with writing, which were used to close up entrances into the tombs.
Along the route you’ll find a small lake, which is 25 metres deep, with particularly pure water.

In the town museum various environments have been reconstructed, which document the craft, town and fishing activities.
A visit to the National Archaeological Museum is mandatory: one of the most important in Italy for its knowledge of Etruscan art and civilisation.

It is one of the most visited museums in Tuscany. You can admire pieces that range from the Bronze Age to the Longobard period, as well as a wide collection of archaeological exhibits from the nearby tombs, found on the road leading to the lake.
It is at this lake that our itinerary comes to an end: an environment that is still wild and very relaxing where you can observe a large variety of fauna and go fishing.

For food lovers, we recommend the restaurants by the lake, which offer a few traditional Etruscan recipes.
Go to Chiusi on the last Sunday of the month when the town comes alive with the Porsenna market. Forty stalls offering typical products of the land and local crafts, gather in Piazza del Duomo and in Via Porsenna for a festival that promotes the territory with other events that are just as interesting.