Cecina Archaeological Museum
An exhibition route to discover the history of the area
The Archaeological Museum of Cecina is housed in Villa Guerrazzi, (also called "Cinquantina"), in the hamlet of San Pietro in Palazzi. The exhibition was created with the intention of enhancing the historical and archaeological heritage of these places: in a journey from the Paleolithic age to the Roman age, with special attention to the Etruscans, visitors can retrace the history of the valley of Cecina river, from Volterra to the sea. The findings, which are of extraordinary interest, refer to settlements, necropolis, and craft and commercial activities from Volterra (necropolis of Badia), Casale Marittimo, Belora, Montescudaio, Casaglia, Guardistallo, Bibbona, Cecina, Castagneto Carducci. The tour follows a chronological and topographical order beginning with the first rooms devoted to prehistory and the Iron Age.
The next section focuses on the necropolis of Casale Marittimo and preserves exceptional artifacts that form the most important core of the museum: in fact, the entire trousseau from one of the tombs is on display, with bronze banquet service, bronze and iron weapons, and rich personal furnishings, indicating the wealth of the Etruscan princes who lived here. In the following rooms, there is no shortage of other interesting materials recovered from necropolis in the area, such as the funeral urn from Montescudaio, decorated on all sides with figurines alluding to a funeral feast; the goldsmiths from Belora (such as the beautiful gold crown) and Roman artefacts.
In the museum’s garden, you can admire the Etruscan tomb of Casaglia, from the end of the 7th century BC, which was entirely reconstructed here.
