What is the history of the Isidoro Falchi Museum?

The Isidoro Falchi Museum, at Vetulonia, tells the story of the Etruscan city and bears the name of the archaeologist who put it back on the map. A physician by training, Isidoro Falchi carried out excavations on the site starting in 1884, at a time when the location of the ancient Vetulonia was debated. His research in the necropolises and the urban area helped identify the ancient city. In 1887, the village of Colonna officially regained the name of Vetulonia.

The museum itself began modestly under the name of ’Antiquarium di Vetulonia, in the premises of the primary school. It closed in the early 1980s, while its expansion was being prepared, then reopened in June 2000, dedicated to Falchi. Its rooms display objects from the excavations and trace the different periods of local history, from the Etruscan era to the Roman era. The visit helps you understand what you then see in the archaeological areas and the necropolises around the village: the museum does not replace these sites, it gives them context.