If you have little time to visit the city we recommend a brief itinerary that, in a few hours, it is possible to visit the main interest points in the historical center.
Starting with, the National Etruscan Museum, one of the most important museums in Italy regarding the Etruscan civilization. Inside it is possible to admire findings that go from the bronze period up to the Lombards. Nearby there is the Cathedral of St. Secondiano, one of the most ancient churches in Tuscany, dating back to the 6th century A.D. admire the 18 ancient Roman columns with Ionic and Corinthian capitals. The central nave and the apse were painted, imitating the mosaic visual effect, by Arturo Viligiardi from Siena at the end of the 19th century, he was inspired by the mosaic of Ravenna and Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. On via Porsenna, the main street, admire the most important historical buildings in the city. From via Porsenna you can reach piazza Olivazzo and admire the splendid panorama of the Valdichiana. Walking along Via Porsenna on the right is Via Arunte, go straight up to Piazza Vittorio Veneto, known as “Il Prato”, from where it is possible to enjoy a magnificent panorama of the Valdichiana and the medieval towers of the Fortress Paolozzi. Next to the casa della cultura, long Via Paolozzi, you can reach St. Francis church with its beautiful cloister. Inside this church, built during the 13th century, are preserved valuable frescoes and paintings dating back to the 16th-18th centuries and a wooden crucifix of the second half of the 15th century. From the church turn left and you will be in Piazza XX September, where you see the town hall, the bell tower and the palazzo delle logge. The tour can end with the visit of one of the two underground routes:
The Town Museum – Underground City, located Via II Ciminia, a characteristic road that starts from Piazza XX Settembre. The museum exhibits the largest collection of Etruscan funerary epigraphs in the world with its 300 urns and 200 grave tiles all displayed in 450 feet of underground tunnels. The guided tour ends with a visit at the famous underground lake.
The Cathedral Museum -Labyrinth of Porsenna is easily reached by taking any street on the right of Piazza XX September on the same side of the Town Hall. The Labyrinth of Porsenna is an Etruscan hydraulic system that runs under the whole town and reaches an Etruscan-Roman cistern. The guided tour ends in the bell tower. The three museums are within a short distance from one another and it is possible to visit all three, purchasing the Chiusi Museum Card.
