Chiusi, the ancient Etruscan capital.

A very short drive from our farmhouse you can visit Chiusi, a fascinating town in Tuscany, rich in history and culture.

Among its main attractions is the charming Lake Chiusi, an ideal place for scenic walks and picnics surrounded by nature. The town is also famous for its traditional festivals, such as the famous “Festa della Strozzalina” and the “Palio de' Rioni,” where local neighborhoods compete in games and parades.

Chiusi is also home to interesting Etruscan artifacts in the National Etruscan Museum, a real gem for history lovers. Another curiosity concerns the system of underground tunnels, known as “the underground city,” which tells of the mysterious past of this place. Chiusi is therefore a must-see destination for those who wish to explore Tuscan beauty and tradition.

Dante Alighieri mentions Chiusi in the 16th canto of Paradise, verses 73-78, of the Divine Comedy:

“Se tu riguardi Luni ed Urbisaglia
come son ite e come se ne vanno
di rietro ad esse Chiusi e Sinigallia,
udir come le schiatte si disfanno,
non ti parrà cosa nuova né forte
poscia che le cittade termine hanno!”.

A legend about its famous lake, also known as Chiaro di Chiusi, or as it was called by the ancient Chiusi people “Moonlight,” tells us that in its waters, during clear nights, the beautiful sky goddess, whom the Latins called Noctiluca and the Etruscans called Tiu, came to be reflected.

The Canopis preserved in the Etruscan museum, vessels with lids in the shape of human or animal heads, used for burying the ashes of the deceased, take their name from the Egyptian containers in which the entrails of the embalmed dead were stored. Only in Chiusi, however, did these have the special development of the anthropomorphic form. In our dialect, the word canopus, or rather, canopic, is used to refer to a physically ugly or unattractive-faced person.

A fine collection of Greek pottery, dating from the second half of the sixth to the early fifth century B.C., can be seen in the Etruscan museum. These materials were found in tombs around Chiusi and testify to what degree of development this city's trade reached at that time.

Many scholars of Etruscology agree that hard stones were also cut and engraved in Chiusi. This would be confirmed by the multiplicity of finds, especially of “scarabs,” found in abundance throughout its vast territory.