Things to do in Province of Arezzo, Tuscany: The Best History Museums

L'Associazione culturale Collezionisti Storici Aretini, lo scorso anno ha inaugurato, all'interno della ex chiesa di San Sebastiano in via Ricasoli, proprio nel cuore del centro storico di Arezzo, il primo museo italiano completamente dedicato al mondo del collezionismo storico, il MUNACS, Museo Nazionale del Collezionismo Storico, diretto da Alain Borghini. All'interno sono esposte collezioni private relative a temi, epoche storiche e ambiti collezionistici completamente diversi fra loro come la cronaca metallica della Rivoluzione francese nelle medaglie commemorative di tutta Europa, le Memorie Storiche d'Italia nei canti del Ventennio e della Resistenza negli spartiti musicali, i ferri da stiro a piastra, le rare registrazioni d'epoca con la voce di personaggi che hanno fatto la storia, le bambole Bonomi, il legame fra teatro e Massoneria, le testimonianze della civiltà contadina nella valle dell'Archiano, le maioliche di Cortona, le Spycamera usate nello spionaggio della Guerra Fredda, la storia del Liquore Strega e delle sue contraffazioni, i Biglietti d'ingresso a luoghi sacri di tutto il mondo e la moda femminile a cavallo fra due secoli ('800-'900) attraverso i vestiti di due dame di compagnia.

The MAEC houses an extraordinary collection bringing together all the material discovered in and around Cortona since the 1700s.The museum collection can be visited in two sections: one dedicated to the Etruscan Academy, and the other centered on the most recent findings from the Cortona necropolis. The collection of the Accademai Etrusca boasts exceptional pieces from various historical periods, like the celebrated Etruscan Chandelier, ancient Egyptian burial goods and works by futurist master Gino Severini. The section dedicated to the City of Cortona offers a journey that begins in the paleoenvironment of the Chiana Valley and arrives in the Cortona of Roman times, passing through the ancient period (580-480 B.C.E.) with the princely Etruscan tombs of the Sodo and Camucia and significant findings such as the Tabula Cortonensis, the third longest Etruscan text in the world.The layout of the museum was specifically designed to communicate with visitors in an innovative way, using both reconstructions and multimedia equipment. All texts are fully rendered in both English and Braill.

The collections exhibited in the Casentino Archeological Museum originate entirely from local excavations. The ancient history of the valley comes to life with an overall view of material culture through the centuries from Prehistoric, to Etruscan and on to Late Roman times. The Museum is laid out over 6 rooms where artifacts are arranged in chronological order, showing visitors the various phases of ancient cultures of the Casentino. It also offers thematic segments -like the one on Etruscan sanctuaries and on ancient funerary rites- which help clarify important aspects of past cultures. A whole room is dedicated to the important Etruscan votive cache coming from the "Lago degli Idoli" (The lake of the Idols) offering, for the first time, an overall view of the objects found during almost 2 centuries of archeological digs at the site on Mount Falterona. The various rooms are introduced by educational panels and information sheets both in English and Italian, which guide visitors through the itinerary. The Museum also organizes guided tours and educational workshops, mainly aimed at schools, but suitable for groups and families.

Il MUSEO ai BORGHI offers you a chance to make an exciting dive into the rural history of the Val di Chiana. Through accurate scenic reconstructions, original music and a surprising collection of objects, furniture, tools and tractors, they have been recreated natural learning environments, adequate to create an emotional and engaging relationship between the visitor and the History.

Welcome to the museum that celebrates and tells the story of the Battle of Anghiari and the lost painting by Leonardo da Vinci, along with the history of this ancient town in Tuscany. Prehistory, Roman antiquities, ancient fire-arms and the important Battle of Anghiari, the Museum retraces the development of this part of Tuscany through reconstructions, objects and historical records.