15 April 2017
We have visited Chiusi four times now but only ever to eat at the completely and utterly wonderful La Solita Zuppa. For some reason we have never looked around Chiusi itself until now. I do not think you need any other reason to visit Chiusi other than to eat at the restaurant which, without a word of a lie, is probably my favourite restaurant in the world. I know that I am probably overselling it a little but we have been coming here for something like 10 years now and whenever we have been in the area whenever we can we come here and it has never disappointed us.
The sat nav took across country from Umbertide via Antignolla and then past Panicale. The drive took about 90 minutes. It is pretty bumpy and the roads were not great it has to be said. I strongly suspect there is a better and smoother route. If you are using a sat nav to find Chiusi it is listed on our sat nav as Chiusi SI (Sienna). I think there is more than one Chiusi in Italy, so be warned. It is not that near to Sienna so assume it is simply in the province of Sienna.
The meal we had at the restaurant was as fantastic as ever. Although we made the mistake of having cheese before the dessert course so when they served a cheese selection with honey we were left regretting the remaining wine that we had which really did not go. The cheese selection was described as a “composition” by the owner to his wife and it certainly was. Isn’t Italian a wonderful evocative language? Seven different cheeses and three dips (all with an ounce of honey).
Before lunch we had walked down the Vie Porzenna which has the restaurant at one end and then goes down to the archaeological museum at the other end (San [●]).
The church (San Secondiano) is spectacular inside but sadly it is all fake. The mosaics are dated from 1915 but they certainly do look the part. The church itself is fine. All roman arches and a bit gloomy. You have to go down several steps as you enter the church. Presumably proof that the ground has risen in the 1500 or so years since it was built? The cathedral musuem was closed by the time we had finished so we have never been around it.
The Museo Nazionale Etruscan di Chiusi is a small collection. The ground floor is Etruscan and then one floor down is really life in roman times. The guide book mentioned that some of the best bits were taken by other museums, which the museum itself pointed out – quite endearingly. The best bit is actually here – with the red/black figure vases. Mind you the tourist shop on the corner of the same road was selling tacky Etruscan copies, including one of a very graphic threesome – I am not sure entirely sure what my mother thought of the tacky Etruscan items when she enquired if we really needed to go around the museum having been able to see the tourist shop. The museum is probably worth half an hour’s visit but there are better museums around.
I also visit Chiusi San Francesco as it was mentioned on TripAdvisor. It is a bit nondescript but interesting spiral pillars on the outside of the main door and a bizarre design habit of building pillars for the side aisles which then obscure the murals some of which had some nice touches but the others looked very basic.
I see from checking it out afterwards that San Secondiano was a martyr between 250 and 258AD. This seems to be based on a long list of his actions drawn up 200 years later but given he is a local Tuscan martyr I suspect he was/is a big thing?
The address for La Solita Zuppa is Via Porsenna 21. https://lasolitazuppa.it