Museo civico "La Città Sotterranea"


Useful Information

Location: Via II Ciminia, 2 - Chiusi.
In front of the Town Hall - Piazza XX Settembre.
(43.016950, 11.948060)
Open: NOV to APR Thu, Fri 10-13, Sat, Sun 10-13, 15-18.
MAY to OCT Tue-Sun 10-13, 15-18.
[2023]
Fee: Adults EUR 4, Children (6-14) EUR 3, Children (0-5) free, Seniors (65+) EUR 3.
[2023]
Classification: SubterraneaSubterranea Museum
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours: D=40 min.
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:
Address: Museo civico "La Città Sotterranea", Via II Ciminia, 2, Chiusi, Tel: +39-0578-20915. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

19-JUN-2004 Epigraphic section via Baldetti opened to the public.
03-JUL-2005 Labyrinth and Productive Activities opened to the public.
2019 escape room opened in the underground city.

Description

The Museo civico "La Città Sotterranea" (Civic Museum "The Underground City") is dedicated to the numerous underground structures of this Toscana city. It is divided into three sections, housed in two separate buildings and a complex of underground spaces that open into the heart of the historic centre. In other words, this is not a museum where you stroll self-guided through a flight of rooms with exhibits. This museum is underground in different kinds of underground structures which are located all over the town. The only way to get there is by a guided tour, which starts every hour 10 minutes after the full hour.

The Il Labirinto (Labyrinth) section is located at the ticket office. Here all aspects of the complex underground system of Chiusi are presented. The history, the archaeological research, geological background, and the myth of Porsenna. The Attività produttive (Production Activities) section and the Epigrafica (Epigraphic) section are located in Via Baldetti 6. The Epigraphic section are 140 m of underground tunnels which house the only exhibition in Italy entirely dedicated to Etruscan funerary epigraphy. Some 300 urns and 200 inscribed tomb tiles constitute an exceptional heritage from the 3rd to 1st century BC. The last stop of the tour is the underground lake.

The different parts of the museum were opened to the public at different times. In other words the museum grows as new underground structures are renovated and opened to the public. The last addition was in 2019 an escape room named Porsenna’s Undergroud Escape, which was operating in one of the underground structures. As Italy was hit hard by Covid-19, both by the pandemic and the lack in tourism, the development stopped for a few years, but the situation normalizes [2023]. The tours are guided, because the guide knows where the sites are and has the key. But the tours are also in Italian. The audioguide in English and German is available from their website for free. Please download it on your smartphone before the tour.