Archeodromo di Poggibonsi

About the museum

The Archeodromo is part of the Parco archeologico di Poggibonsi, established in 2003 through an agreement between the municipality of Poggibonsi and the University of Siena after more than ten years of excavations (1993–2007) on the hill of Poggio Imperiale. The park tells the long history of the site, from the early medieval settlements of huts to the late medieval “almost a city”, up to the present Fortezza Medicea, commissioned at the end of the 15th century by Lorenzo the Magnificent.

The Archeodromo, opened in October 2014 and extended in January 2016, is the first Italian open-air museum on the early Middle Ages. It reproduces at 1:1 scale the Frankish-era village (9th century to the mid-10th century) that emerged from the excavations, with a large longhouse measuring 17 by 8.5 metres, a peasant hut with a yard and henhouse, the blacksmith's forge, an oven, haystacks and a vegetable garden.

The village inhabitants, in period costume, demonstrate crafts and daily life according to the principles of experimental archaeology and living history. The project was promoted by the Fondazione Musei Senesi and the municipality of Poggibonsi with the University of Siena; management is entrusted to Archeòtipo, a spin-off of the university. In the Cassero of the Fortress there is also a documentation centre in three rooms with panels, models and reconstructions.

Highlights

• Carolingian longhouse rebuilt at full scale
• Village inhabitants in period costume, including a blacksmith, a baker and a weaver
• Documentation centre in the Cassero of the Fortezza Medicea
• Walkway along the walls with views of the towers of San Gimignano
• Living history and experimental archaeology events

Permanent exhibition

• Villaggio carolingio dell'Archeodromo – Full-scale (1:1) reconstruction of the village of the 9th and 10th centuries uncovered in the excavations, with longhouse, forge, oven and vegetable garden and inhabitants in costume.

Founded

2014

Operated by

Parco archeologico di Poggibonsi (Archeòtipo)

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

The park offers workshops for school-age and pre-school children, summer camps from age 6 and festivals with a medieval theme, following a “touch the past” approach.

Getting there & parking

The Archeodromo lies within the Archaeological Park, near the Fortezza Medicea of Poggio Imperiale, at the top of the hill; from the Florence–Siena expressway, take the exit at Poggibonsi sud (from Florence) or Colle Valdelsa nord (from Siena).

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant

The Osteria al Cassero, with a bar, is located in the Fortress.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit