Figure from Chiusi in Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe, Germany
Clusium (Clevsin or Camars inEtruscan) was one of the more powerful cities in theEtruscan League of twelve peoples.[3] Chiusi came under the influence ofRome in the 3rd century BC and was involved in theSocial War. According to a Roman historical traditionArruns of Clusium invitedGaul mercenaries from thePo Valley into Clusium to seek revenge for a domestic conflict concerning his wife. However the Gauls sacked the city instead and settled in the region.[4]
In 540 AD it was occupied by theOstrogoths and was later seat of aLombard duchy. From the 11th century it was under the rule of the local bishop, and was later contended for byOrvieto and, from 1231,Siena, belonging to the latter until 1556, when it was annexed to theGrand duchy of Tuscany.
The region was devastated bymalaria in theMiddle Ages, and did not recover until theValdichiana was drained in the 18th century.[5]
The lowlands around Chiusi house numerous troves of tombs for this civilization. The Etruscan Museum of Chiusi is one of the most important repositories of Etruscan remains in Italy.
Other sights include:
TheRomanesque Cathedral (Duomo) of San Secondiano, built around 560 AD over a pre-existing basilica, and renovated in the 13th century. It has a nave and two aisles supported by antique columns made from marble taken from ancient buildings.[5] The Sacrament Chapel houses aNativity and Saints byBernardino Fugai. It has a separated bell tower which was turned into a defence tower in 1585. Under the tower is a Roman cistern dating from the 1st century BC.
The so-called "Labyrinth of Porsenna", a series of tunnels under the town, built in the 6th-5th century BC and probably utilized in Etruscan-Roman times for drainage of rain waters. According toPliny the Elder (Naturalis historia, XXXVI, XIX, 91-93), the Labyrinth was part of a monument including the sepulchre of the KingPorsenna.
Harris, W., R. Talbert, T. Elliott, S. Gillies (9 July 2022)."Places: 413096 (Clusium)". Pleiades. RetrievedMarch 7, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
