Today we take you to discover the ancient village of Cetona, among history, culture and exclusive itineraries.
Cetona is a medieval village of Etruscan origin, located 384 meters above sea level, at the foot of the mountain of the same name of volcanic origin.
Inhabited since Etruscan and Roman times, during the Middle Ages Cetona was fortified by Siena: this is demonstrated by the fortress, three gates and other important remains of the Sienese city walls, still perfectly preserved. Of the three towers that defended the fortress in the past, today only the ancient keep remains visible.
One of the best ways to vist the beautiful village of Cetona is certainly a pleasant walk, which from the main square, Piazza Garibaldi, takes us to the sisteenth-century Palazzo Minutelli – Cioli, home to the Town Hall and the Civic Museum for the Prehistory of Mount Cetona which documents the various phases of the human population of the territory around Mount Cetona started from the Paleolithic until the end of the Bronze Age.
Through the Piazza della Collegiata (13th century), where an ancient cistern well stands, you can reach the Brugi arch and a viewpoint over the mountains and countryside.
Then taking via della Fortezza, we begin our climb towards to fortress: we first reach a viewpoint overlooking the Collegiate square and, continuing further on, another panoramic point open onto the roofs of the town and the entrance to the fortress, which cannot be visited as it is privately owned.
Cetona offers in addition to the delightful historic center, also interesting places of religious and historical-cultural attraction located in its surroundings.
Worth visiting is the Convent of San Francesco founded, according to tradition, by San Francesco d’Assisi in 1212. In the immediate vicinity, we discover some caves and the remains of a prehistoric settlement: it is the natural archaeological park of Belverde, site of the main prehistoric settlements of this area.
Here it is possible to admire some suggestive cavities that open into the travertine, such as the cave of San Francesco and the Lattaia cave, which have been inhabited and used by man for ritual purposes since ancient times.
Not far from the park is the Belverde Archaeodrome: an interesting educational route created to complete and integrate the visit to the Museum and the Park, in which part of a Bronze Age village and a cave dwelling have been reconstructed of the Middle Paleolithic, connected by an itinerary in the woods and along the rocky crag above the Belverde cavities, from which you can enjoy a wide panorama of Valdichiana.
A visit to the ancient village of Cetona can represent the right opportunity to discover and admire the splendid countryside that frames it: an ideal location both for living everyday life and for spending magnificent stays.
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