Grotte di Belverde

Useful Information

Location:	Strada Provinciale della Montagna di Cetona, 53040 Cetona SI. Cetona, between Firenze and Roma. A1/E35 Autostrade del Sole exit Casello di Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, turn left on SP478 through Sarteano 7 km, turn left on SP della Montagna Cetona 4 km. Signposted Parco Archeologico Naturalistico di Belverde from turnoff SP478. (42.952250, 11.886535)
Open:	Museum: JUL to SEP Tue-Sun 10-13, 16-19. OCT to JUN Sat, Sun, Hol, day before Hol 10-13, 15-18. Park/Archeodrome: JUL to SEP Tue-Sun 10-19, tours at 10, 11:30, 14, 15:30, 17. OCT to JUN Sat, Sun, Hol, day before Hol 10-17, tours at 10, 11:30, 14, 15. [2023]
Fee:	Museum: Adults EUR 3. Park/Archeodrome: Adults EUR 3. Combo: Adults EUR 5.50. [2023]
Classification:	Tufa Cave Museums
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	A=550-600 m asl.
Guided tours:	Museum: Park/Archeodrome:
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Museo Civico per la Preistoria del Monte Cetona, Via Roma, 37 - 53040 Cetona (Siena), Tel: +39-0578-269416. E-mail: Parco Archeologico Naturalistico di Belverde, Strada Provinciale della Montagna di Cetona, 53040 Cetona SI, Tel: +39-0578-239219. Outside opening hours, Tel: +39-338-6827859, Tel: +39-348-5226337. E-mail: E-mail: .
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

The Grotte di Belverde (Caves of Belvedere) are a series of 18 small caves. So this place is not a show cave with stalactites and stalagmites, it's an archaeological site which includes the visit of some small caves. The Parco Archeologico-Naturalistico Grotte di Belverde was founded to protect the finds of a prehistoric settlement from the Villanova culture. It started with a guided tour through the caves, which is why we listed it as a show cave. The caves are equipped with trails and electric light. But as always with important sites which are located in such an ideal location at the freeway between two big cities, the site developed and grew. Soon it became the Parco Archeologico Naturalistico di Belverde (Belverde Archaeological Naturalistic Park), note the missing "grotte", and finally the Archeodromo di Belverde (Belverde Archeodrome). This is a development which started in France, reconstructed prehistoric villages with experimental archaeology courses, often primarily for children, were created at archaeological sites. You can see reconstructed tents, fireplaces, ovens and pottery, and even throw a lance with a lance thrower or light a fire the stone age way. This kind of site has spread over Germany and Italy too.

The archaeological remains from the cave are on display in the Museo Civico per la Preistoria del Monte Cetona (Civic Museum for the Prehistory of Monte Cetona). It documents the various phases of human settlement in the area, from the Paleolithic to the end of the Bronze Age. But it starts with a sort of geological exhibition of the landscape evolution of the area, which was derived from both geological and palaeontological evidence. The oldest human remains are from Neanderthal man, who inhabited some caves of Cetona in the Middle Paleolithic. Chipped stone tools and the remains of hunted animals were found. There were only few findings from the Neolithic and the Copper Age, but the site became quite popular during the 2nd millennium BC. On the eastern side of Monte Cetona and in the Grotte di Belverde an intense population was recorded. This is the main topic of the museum and its exhibition.

The site is based on a deposit of travertine or tufa. This is limestone which is deposited by a limestone rich karst spring, the carbon dioxide leaves the water, the water is not able to keep the limestone dissolved anymore, and it is deposited, forming a porous rock with small caves. As a result the whole block of limestone, which is rather young, contains small caves which were used by prehistoric man soon after the brook changed its course and the cave became dry. This is a result of climate change, because despite our current discussions about climate change, climate changes actually since there is atmosphere on earth more than four Billion years ago. And the last 2.5 Million years were quite spectacular in this sense, with continual change between cold ages and warm ages. The amount of water necessary to form the huge deposits which are found here is much higher than today. It was the result of a much wetter era.

As we said there are 18 caves, located on a hill, connected by trails, and all important caves are gated. There are the tours into two caves organized by the Archeodrome, hence the address and coordinates given are those of the Visitor Center. However, if you prefer a walk on the trails, reading the educational signs, visiting some small caves and having a look through iron bar gates, you can go there directly. The pro is, its open without restrictions and is free. The con is, there is no light and no guide, and the important caves are gated. To get there go to the Chiesa Santa Maria in Belverde, from the Archeodrome follow the road south for 160 m, then turn left on the gravel road, which is actually signed Parco Archeologico Naturalistico di Belverde with a small brown sign. After 600 m there is a small parking lot with picknick area in the forest, from here the trails start. Above is the bianchetto, a white cliff of travertine where the caves are located. Obviously the formation of the cave was not only be deposition, there were also tectonic movements, a mountain slide which created the white cliff and changed the caves. The caves are signposted but the educational signs are only in Italian.