TOSCANA UNDERGROUND TOSCANA www.turismo.intoscana.it UNDERGROUND nd u o gr r e d Un Underground BEAUTIFUL INSIDE AS OUTSIDE a n a c s o Toscana Regione Toscana T CAVES • MINES • NECROPOLISES d groun r Unde a an c os T grotte, miniere e musei ipogei, bottini, cantine e magazzini fenomeni carsici, della miniera, necropoli, cunicoli sotterranei, scavati nella roccia, sofoni minerali e opere di drenaggio interni delle mura nel tufo etc... relativi musei, e idrauliche, cittadine archeologia mineraria tagliate e industriale nd u o gr r e d Un Underground a n a c s o Toscana T d groun r Unde a an c os T grotte, miniere e musei ipogei, bottini, cantine e magazzini fenomeni carsici, della miniera, necropoli, cunicoli sotterranei, scavati nella roccia, sofoni minerali e opere di drenaggio interni delle mura nel tufo etc... relativi musei, e idrauliche, cittadine archeologia mineraria tagliate e industriale nd u o gr r e d Un Underground a n a c s o Toscana T The logo represents an ammonite, a fossil that was once alive and has become an object, a “treasure” d to discover, offered to us by the earth. The image is contrasted to groun such a point that it almost becomes r abstract; it is cold and immobile, Unde but at the same time the spiral is a a vortex that shows a way, and invites an c us to delve under the surface. os T LEGEND Services n Visiting rules b Bookshop s Special indications l Picnic area u Educational activities F Bar grotte, miniere e musei ipogei, bottini, cantine e magazzini fenomeni carsici, della miniera, necropoli, cunicoli sotterranei, scavati nella roccia, t Restaurant sofoni minerali e opere di drenaggio interni delle mura nel tufo etc... How to get there relativi musei, e idrauliche, cittadine archeologia mineraria tagliate o Museum e industriale a By car g Caravan park w By train 5 Conference hall d By bus Useful Information v By ferry Access for the disabled SS main road k -yes -no -partial SR regional road SP provincial road Photography allowed For further information: j -yes -no -partial SC municipal road www.turismo.intoscana.it d d d d un un un un o o o o ndergr ndergr ndergr ndergr U U U U a a a a can can can can s s s s o o o o T T T T d d d d un un un un o o o o ndergr ndergr ndergr ndergr U U U U a a a a can can can can s s s s o o o o T T T T CONTENTS Caves of Natural and Prehis- Mines, Mining and Industrial Necropolises and Tufo Underground Passageways grotte,grotte,grotte,grotte, miniereminiere e museiminiere eminiere musei e musei e museiipogei,ipogei,ipogei,ipogei, bottini,bottini,bottini,bottini, cantinecantine e mcantineagazzini ecantine ma egazzini m ea gazzinimagazzini fenomenitoric Interest,fenomeni carsici,fenomeni Cavefenomeni carsici, Therapy carsici, carsici,della miniera,dellaArchaeology dellaminiera,della miniera, miniera,necropoli,necropoli,necropoli,Civilisationsnecropoli, cunicolicunicoli sotterranei,cunicoli sotterranei,cunicoliand sotterranei, Aqueducts sotterranei,scavatisc nellaavasc tiroccia anellavscatiav ,nellarocciaati nella roccia, roccia, , sofonisofonisofonisofoni mineraliminerali e minerali mineralie e e opere diopere drenopere diaggio operedren di adren ggiodi drenaggiointerniaggio internidelleinterni mura delleinterni dellemura delle muranel mura tufonel etc... tufonel etc...neltufo tufo etc... etc... Antro del Corchia rel12ativi relThemusei,a tiviSielerel musei,a Minereltivia musei,tivi musei,e idrauliche,e74 idrauliche,e Theidrauliche,e “Cittàidrauliche, del Tufo”cittadine cittadinecittadinecittadineThe “Bottini” Underground The Pietra Piegata archeologiaarcheologiaThe Mercury archeologiaminerariaarcheologia Mines mineraria minerariat minerariaagliatet78agliatteaArchaeologyglitaglite ate and Mining Park 118 Passageways in Siena 136 Museum e16 industrialeeThe industriale Cornacchinoe industrialee industriale Mines 82 Rock Settlement of Vitozza 122 The Santa Mustiola Buca di Castelvenere 18 The Massa Marittima The Baratti and Populonia Catacombs 140 Buca del Tasso 22 Mining Museum 84 Archaeology and Mining Park 124 The Fonti dell’Abbondanza Grotta del Tambugione 26 The Montecatini Val di Cecina Via Cava of San Giuseppe 128 Gallery 144 Grotte della Penna 30 Mining Museum 88 The San Rocco Rock The Labyrinth of Porsenna 148 Roccia dei Pennati 34 The Abbadia San Salvatore Settlement 132 The Chiusi Museum 152 Grotta del Tanaccio 38 Mining Museum 92 Grotta all’Onda 42 The Montieri Archaeology Grotta del Sassocolato 46 and Mining Park 96 Grotta del Vento 50 The San Silvestro Archaeology and Mining Park 100 Grotta Giusti 54 The Island of Elba Grotta Maona 58 Mining Park 104 Grotte di Bagni Caldi 60 The Gavorrano Mining The Belverde Archaeology and Nature Park 108 and Nature Park 64 The Apuan Alps Archaeology The Grotte di Equi and Mining Structure 112 Cultural Park 68 n this book do not hope to find the classic Tuscany as shown in images and postcards of rows of cypress trees and hills of olive groves, because…they’re not there. Instead, you can get to know interesting places in our region with one thing in common: they’re all underground. Caves, mines, burial sites and underground passages. Toscana Underground boosts tourism at less well-known sposts, such as those that are hidden underground, and hopes to promote protection of the environment, a precious good that needs safeguarding. The sites are scattered over a large part of the region, and many of them are off the traditional tourist routes. What is more, some have recently been renovated and made safe, or had an infrastructure built around them. We need to make the most of these places, and they deserve to be enjoyed by the public. They are highly interesting and appealing places which enrich what our area has to offer tourists. They can be an interesting destination not only for enthusiasts, but also for a day out with the family or friends and for educational school trips. ToscanaUnderground, A Beautiful Region Inside and Out Often the most beautiful things are hidden from the eye – we have to go and look for them, they’re not exactly to hand. And when travelling it’s a bit like that too. In Tuscany there are places far off (not too far though) the beaten track that only a few people, Tuscans included, know about; fascinating, amazing places that still leave the imagination to run riot. Then someone realised that this world wrapped in the shadows is just as marvellous as the things that shine in the light of day: and this is how Toscana Underground. This guide features these secret places: nature in all its extraordinary and extemporary splendour, with its karstic caves, and underground places that tell of man’s history and work, such as necropolises, mines and ancient aqueducts. ToscanaUnderground, A Beautiful Region Inside and Out The Toscana Underground metro descends deep down, resurfaces, and then disappears from view again. There are four types of station scattered around a large part of the region: - Caves of Natural and Prehistoric Interest, Cave Therapy; - Mines, Mining and Industrial Archaeology; - Necropolises and Tufo Civilisations; - Underground Passageways and Aqueducts . There is such a variety of places to visit that they can attract varied visitors: people on day trips, sports lovers, history and archaeology enthusiasts and school trips. The first stop for Toscana Underground is at the The encounter between man and nature has given caves, diving deep down in no less than 53 areas in life to spectacular landscapes in this case too. the region. The cave map of Tuscany counts 1,597 In the Maremman hinterland, the Vitozza rock settle- caves, with a total of 270 kilometres of natural galler- ment at San Quirico di Sorano is practically a village ies. Karstic phenomena – caves, dolines, springs, blind dug out of the tufo rock: the dwellings have been valleys – cover around 1200 km_ of the region (5% of modelled out of the rock, as have the mangers and the whole territory) and are of remarkable importance storehouses; only the church, fortress and castle are for water supplies; the richest spring in Tuscany – the built above ground. Frigido - bursts up in the Apuan Alps, releasing an in- Non the less fascinating are the Etruscan burial credible amount of water (1,550 litres per second). grounds that are dotted throughout the area of Sova- The Apuan Alps also host Monte Corchia, the most ex- na (Grosseto). tensive cave system in Italy with around 60 kilometres The last stop for Toscana Underground is at the of galleries and obruks, and the Paolo Roversi abyss, drainage galleries dug to collect and take water in- descending 1,249 metres, making it the deepest cave side town walls. The famous “Bottini” unwind over MASSA in Italy and the 21st deepest in the world. more than 25 km under the heart of Siena. Built dur- Some of these marvels are equipped for tourists, such ing the Middle Ages and Renaissance, they are still as the three large karstic cavities in the Apuan Alps: in working order today. Grotta del Vento in Garfagnana, Grotte di Equi Terme in Similar tunnels can be found in other towns, such as Lunigiana and Antro del Corchia in Versilia. The work to Massa Marittima and Chiusi (Siena). make the caves safe, carried out while respecting the This guide brings together just some of the many subterranean environment, and the technology used, underground places in our region; many more are mean that they can be visited by a vast amount of peo- currently being restored and will soon be accessible ple without jeopardising the delicate biological balance. to tourists. Versilia is getting organised to open the These caves are an unusual and exceptional laboratory former Edem mines to visitors. These mines were for schools, where pupils can effortlessly learn about open until 1990, mining barium and iron.