Village of Cetona
Located on the slopes of the homonymous mountain, Cetona is a medieval town. For its various qualities, it is awarded the orange flag of the Italian Touring Club.
Entering the town, the large Piazza Garibaldi is a beautiful square of rectangular shape, built in the 16th century, surrounded by the churches of Santissima Annunziata and San Michele Arcangelo and by the Terrosi and Vitelli palaces. The characteristic alleys join the Rocca dominating the historic centre.
Many prehistoric archaeological discoveries began in the early 20th century. They are at the origin of the Civic Museum of Prehistory of Mount Cetona and the associated Archaeological Natural Park.
The museum is located inside the Palazzo Comunale in Cetona, documenting human occupation of the territory from the Paleolithic to the Bronze Age. Neanderthal man left his mark on it, with tools made of cut stone or remains of hunted animals. After the Neolithic, when attendance was sporadic, in the Copper Age man populated densely the territory like in Belverde (huts, rock shelters). This period began in the second millennium before the common era is at the origin of the main nucleus of the museum.
Mount Cetona
The Monte Cetona separates the Val d’Orcia and the Valdichiana, with a natural oasis rich in archaeological evidence, between Radicofani and Sarteano, passing through San Casciano dei Bagni.
From this ancient sea floor dating back 225 million years, transformed into a mountain with the emergence of the Apennines, and the formation of caves, inhabited since prehistoric times, and frequented by hermits.
It is a good site for hiking or mountain biking, offering beautiful views to the west of the Val d’Orcia and Mount Amiata, and to the east on the Valdichiana and Umbria.
Belvedere Archaeological Park
The Belvedere Archaeological Natural Park in the south-west of Cetona includes the sites where the objects on display in the museum were found, including the cavities formed in travertine blocks which some used as places of worship or burial. The Lattaia Cave was thus a sanctuary, where were found votive objects of terracotta as children swaddled, breasts, vases, etc.
The Cave of San Francesco would have been frequented by Saint Francis, located on the path to the Franciscan hermitage of Santa Maria.
Where is Cetona, map
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Suggestions to visit the Val d’Orcia
Links and sources
- General informations: Cetona on en.wikipedia.org
- Website of the commune: www.vivicetona.it/en
- Tourist portals: Cetona on www.visittuscany.com
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