Professor David Soren
Photography by Noelle Soren
We wish to thank Angelo Bottini, Francesco Nicosia and the Soprintendenza Archeologica per la Toscana, Anna Rastrelli (director of the Chiusi Museum), Giulio Paolucci (director of the Chianciano Museum), the Comune di Chianciano Terme (Davide Bolici, mayor), Roberto Betti and the Office of Tourist Promotion for Chianciano Terme, the Associazione Geo-Archeologico of Chianciano Terme, the Hotel Moderno and the Ducchini Family, the Pensione Canapini, Sergio Valdambrini, the University of Arizona Foundation, Dennis Evans of the University of Arizona College of Humanities, Jean and George Angle, Nancy O'Neill, Herb and Jane Elins and, finally, Chris Johnson, Noelle Soren, and Wayne Rupp who put together this website.
Chianciano Terme today is a beautiful and bustling Tuscan spa town, world famous for its healthful waters. Tourists flock here to reap the benefits of the four famous springs of the town, the Acqua Santa, Acqua Fucoli, Acqua Sillene and the Acqua Sant'Elena which are believed to be beneficial in the treatment of liver problems. This accounts for the motto of the town "Chianciano-Fegato Sano"- "It's Chianciano for a healthy liver". Evidence suggests that this area was also blessed with healthful waters in antiquity, and our concession was granted in 1995 in an effort to learn more about this aspect of Chianciano Terme's past. With the help of the community of Chianciano Terme, the University of Arizona initiated excavation of an community of Chianciano Terme, the University of Arizona initiated excavation of an archaeological zone in the locality of central Chianciano known as Mezzomiglioin 1995.
The zone was partially excavated in 1993 by Giulio Paolucci, the well known archaeologist and author of Etruscan studies from Chianciano Terme. His work revealed three important structures along the south flank of the principal hill of Mezzomiglio: a small bath complex or balneae, traces of a water distribution tower of rectangular form and massive walls enclosing what may be a natural spring.
Our work has revealed a group of significant structures which date to two distinct periods: Late Etruscan (or Late Romanized Etruscan) and early Roman Imperial. The Etruscan structures include a natural spring surrounded by a man-made enclosure known as the vasca. An early imperial structure that may have been an administrative building (Struttura A). Another early imperial structure which is badly preserved has been unearthed and only partially excavated (Struttura B). Still another structure (Struttura D) was found east of Struttura A separated from it by an alleyway which turns at right angles. Struttura D was built against and partly under another much more recent building (Struturra C). A portion of an Etruscan street or court area of a pavement type known locally as glareatio formed from river pebbles and earth was found. It resembles a street found in Canicello, near Orvieto in nearby Umbria, dating to the 4th or 3rd century B.C. There is also Struttura E, a confused jumble of ruins that apparently belonged to yet another structure but which has been plow-dragged and destroyed by the intrusion of a modern drain for which many of its stones were quarried and disturbed.
In the Roman Imperial period some of the structures at this site used concrete. This can be seen in the areas of repair (ca. 4th century A.D.) in the vasca, in a structure to the southeast which probably served as a water tower (ca. A.D. 114), in a small bath pool or basin, built over the ruins of one of the Etruscan buildings, Struttura D (4th or 5th century A.D.).
All Images Copyright Noelle Soren, 1996
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