MuVet – “Isidoro Falchi” Civic Archaeological Museum

Discovering the treasures of the ancient Etruscan city

The “Isidoro Falchi” Civic Archaeological Museum was inaugurated in 2000 and is named after Isidoro Falchi, the doctor and archaeologist who in the nineteenth century led the first excavation campaign to discover ancient Vetulonia. The museum, which is also accessible to blind and disabled visitors, houses splendid Etruscan finds from the local area in seven rooms on two floors.

Along an easy and intuitive route, the visitor can retrace the history of ancient Vatluna from its origins (9th century BC) to the time of the Roman conquest (3rd-1st century BC).

The finds from the necropolises of Poggio alla Guardia and Poggio Belvedere from the Villanovan era (IX-VIII century BC), such as grave goods with biconical and hut ossuaries, as well as precious metals, weapons, glasses and bronzes, are of great interest. These objects indicate the early emergence of an aristocracy linked to the development of metallurgical activities in the area.

The grave goods of the Small Silver Lions and Golden Fibula grave circles (containing one or more graves), with an abundance of precious silver and gold objects, dates back to the Orientalising period (late 8th to 7th century BC), the phase of maximum splendour in the site’s history. The famous stone stele of the warrior Auvile Feluske is from the same era. Also worthy of note are the grave goods of the Furs grave circle and the finds from the Diavolino II monumental tomb.

Also worth seeing is the Hellenistic alphabet engraved on a stone slab from the Necropolis of the Dupiane, as well as the grave goods from the Val Berretta necropolis, the remains of the Poggio Pelliccia mound, with precious imported Greek ceramics, and the splendid “Cappuccina” tombs from the Hellenistic era.

A museum for everyone!
In addition to the valuable collections, the museum is special because it is accessible to everyone, including visitors with motor, visual and hearing impairments, thanks to the full range of equipment, from ramps to podotactile routes, from spatial orientation platforms to tactile maps, and from recorded information tapes to audio guides.

A museum for kids!
The museum organises numerous interesting activities and educational workshops, by reservation, for schools and families, with the aim of educating children about art and culture through the experience of play.