Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Train -- The Chiusi/Chianciano Terme station (tel. 0578-20-074) is a major stop on the main Rome-Florence line (which passes through Arezzo) and is also the terminus of a secondary line that originates in Siena (about 12 trains daily). A bus will carry you up to the centro storico.

By Car -- From Montepulciano, follow the SS146. From Florence, take the A1 to the Chiusi exit. From Siena, take the SS326 toward Sinalunga to the A1 south to the Chiusi exit. You can park off Via Pietricia and Via dei Longobardi.

By Bus -- Because Chiusi has one of the main train stations in the region, most towns run several LFI buses here daily. There are 16 daily from Montepulciano (45 min.) that stop in Chianciano Terme (25 min.) along the way. Ask to get off at the centro storico or you'll end up in the meatpacking town of Chiusi Scalo down below.

By Bike -- The best way to see the land of the Etruscans up close is by bike, and the provinces of Arezzo and Siena have made that much easier by completing a bicycle path called il Sentiero della Bonifica that stretches about 60km (37 miles) between Chiusi and Arezzo. It crosses historic bridges and passes friendly farms that offer a true taste of the region. The gravelly path is better suited for mountain bikes and hybrids than for fancy road bikes, and can be an arduous trek under the hot sun. For more instructions and for a good map, see www.sentierodellabonifica.it.

Visitor Information

The information office is at Piazza Duomo 1, 53043 Chiusi (tel./fax 0578-227-667), open Monday through Saturday from 9:30am to 12:30pm and 3 to 5pm (sometimes to 7pm in summer) and Sunday from 9am to 12:30pm (the office itself admits these hours are more indicative, not precise; they might open at 10am or close at noon).

Special Events

Chiusi has no festivals of particular note, although locals do drive their Fiats to the lake on July 2 to have the cars blessed in the name of the city's St. Mustiola and to watch fireworks. From mid-July to August, a series of outdoor concerts, films, and theater productions are staged for Summer Under the Stars. The local restaurants get involved with neighborhood feast days on May 5, May 26, and June 29 and 30. Also in May are a costumed procession (on the 17th) and a classic car race (on the 2nd). Market day is Tuesday.