The territory of Murlo (Siena, Tuscany) is a peculiar and “anomalous” one since the eldest times and so remained until the Unity of Italy. In its outskirts traces of prehistoric settlements were found, going back to the Aurignacian (35.000 years ago), then to the Villanovan and to the Etruscan period. About the latter, the discoveries of Poggio Civitate have permitted the carrying out of the “Antiquarium”, one of the most important Etruscan museums in the world.


Settlements in the territory continued also during the Roman period, traces of which can be found in the “fornace di Vescovado”, placed near the Albergo (Hotel) and in the Villa Befa. An amazing amount of remains come from the Medieval time, from the rural churches all over the territory, many of which having been transformed, to the ruins of monasteries and castles such as Montespecchio and Crevole, but also still inhabited places such as Campriano, Castel di Notte, Frontignano or Montepescini, the latter being under a renovation project.


The bishop of Siena, who exercised his “Signoria” for more than 6 centuries over a good part of the territory of Murlo, has been determinant for the conservation of everything under his influence. It is therefore easy to find in the scattered land-houses, in the deserted villages and in the small hamlets, clear traces of ancient structures incorporated in the ones of more recent construction, still maintaining their origins and history.


The decisive event for the evolution of Murlo and the territory happened about 150 years ago with the discovery of a rich seam of brown coal in a wild area, without communication routes. The development forecasts drove a group of people to the construction of a mineral-industrial village and a private railway of 22 kilometres, one of the first ones in Italy. The event caused a real revolution as the local population saw the possibility to devote themselves to other activities, different from the traditional ones linked to agriculture and woodland. So new trades came out and especially new ways of thinking that opened minds to the future, leaving Medieval life behind.


Today Murlo (Siena) is oriented towards a sustainable development with the aim to protect such important features as the identity and the values so far preserved in its territory. The ancient way of the “ferrovia carbonifera” has been recently requalified and transformed into an “equipped pathway” with welcome areas and appropriate didactic signs showing the main aspects of the area.


Many paths cover the whole territory, taking to the places of main naturalistic-cultural interest. The plan of these routes is available at the Ufficio Informazioni Turistiche and at Pro Loco.