Clevsi for the Etruscans, Clusium for the Romans: the city of Chiusi certainly has very ancient origins. In fact, the first human settlements in the area date back to the 8th century BC.
But it is precisely with the Etruscans that Chiusi knows a period of particular fame and wealth, thanks to the legendary deeds of the famous Etruscan king Porsenna.
Unfortunately, there are no direct testimonies of this period in the city, which instead are located throughout the surrounding area: a few kilometers from the center, in the countryside, there is the necropolis, consisting of several tombs, most of which can be visited.
The city offers, instead, the testimony of the numerous finds found in the area thanks to the National Archaeological Museum, which preserves and exhibits them. These precious finds illustrate the history of Chiusi starting from the Bronze Age, with particular regard to the Etruscan period of the city.
Geographically located south of the Valdichiana, right on the border between Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio, the local gastronomy is the result of the union of many traditions. At the base there is certainly the great Tuscan cuisine, however made richer by influences from the other two neighboring regions.
The area of the city of Chiusi has been very fertile since ancient times and therefore allows the cultivation of large raw materials to obtain products of the highest quality, such as wines, oils and cereals, and to breed all types of cattle, from which to obtain excellent meats, excellent meats and extraordinary cheeses.
Do not overlook the great tradition of lake fish: a few kilometers from the inhabited center is Lake Chiusi, which provides an excellent raw material for great traditional dishes, such as the famous "brustico" and "tegamaccio".