Museo Archeologico Nazionale
Although a huge portion of Chiusi's rich Etruscan patrimony was carried off by early archaeologists, a good share remains in these well displayed collections. As you’ve seen elsewhere, Etruscan artisans devoted much of their energy to funeral pottery, typically topped by lids carved with the man or woman's reclining likeness. A particularly dramatic 7th-century-b.c. piece shows the deceased, perched on the lid, apparently orating and surrounded by stylized griffins whose heads are raised high, crying out. Many of the urns here are done in the town’s distinctive bucchero ware, with a very dark glaze that imitates metal. Others are carved from a local limestone called pietra fetida, as well as travertine and alabaster. Not all the pottery was buried with the dead. The Sella Caccatoia is a terracotta pot that residents used to toilet train their toddlers, while a ghirarium is a large terra-cotta pot used to breed dormice, a popular Etruscan delicacy.
Your ticket is good for entry to two Etruscan tombs 3km (2 miles) north of Chiusi: the Tomba del Leone and Tomba della Pellegrina. Tell the staff when you leave the museum and they’ll make sure someone’s there to unlock the tombs for you. Hours are the same as the museum. The Tomba della Scimmia (Tomb of the Monkey, so called for its frescoes) can be visited Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday only (11am and 4pm, or 2:30pm winter). The 2€ fee is not included in the museum fee, but you can book a place at the museum desk.
Although a huge portion of Chiusi's rich Etruscan patrimony was carried off by early archaeologists, a good share remains in these well displayed collections. As you’ve seen elsewhere, Etruscan artisans devoted much of their energy to funeral pottery, typically topped by lids carved with the man or woman's reclining likeness. A particularly dramatic 7th-century-b.c. piece shows the deceased, perched on the lid, apparently orating and surrounded by stylized griffins whose heads are raised high, crying out. Many of the urns here are done in the town’s distinctive bucchero ware, with a very dark glaze that imitates metal. Others are carved from a local limestone called pietra fetida, as well as travertine and alabaster. Not all the pottery was buried with the dead. The Sella Caccatoia is a terracotta pot that residents used to toilet train their toddlers, while a ghirarium is a large terra-cotta pot used to breed dormice, a popular Etruscan delicacy.
Your ticket is good for entry to two Etruscan tombs 3km (2 miles) north of Chiusi: the Tomba del Leone and Tomba della Pellegrina. Tell the staff when you leave the museum and they’ll make sure someone’s there to unlock the tombs for you. Hours are the same as the museum. The Tomba della Scimmia (Tomb of the Monkey, so called for its frescoes) can be visited Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday only (11am and 4pm, or 2:30pm winter). The 2€ fee is not included in the museum fee, but you can book a place at the museum desk.
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