Mineral Park Museum

Southern Tuscany

LoginSave

Cinnabar, the red-coloured mineral from which mercury is extracted, was mined in the hills around Abbadia San Salvatore from Etruscan times until quite recently. This now-defunct mine was once the largest employer in Monte Amiata and it has now been converted into a fascinating museum documenting the mine's role in shaping both the local economy and the life of the community. It offers displays, artworks, audiovisual presentations and even a train ride through the mine tunnels.

Audioguides in a variety of languages are available. Advance reservations are recommended, especially if you are keen to enjoy the train ride.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Facade of Orvieto Cathedral at dusk

    Duomo

    25.47 MILES

    Nothing can prepare you for the visual feast that is Orvieto's soul-stirring Gothic cathedral. Dating from 1290, it sports a black-and-white banded…

  • Civita di Bagnoregio

    Civita di Bagnoregio

    28.81 MILES

    The small town of Bagnoregio is home to one of northern Lazio's most dramatic apparitions, the Civita di Bagnoregio, aka il paese che muore (the dying…

  • Necropoli di Sovana

    Necropoli di Sovana

    15.59 MILES

    At Tuscany's most significant Etruscan tombs, part of the Parco Archeologico 'Città del Tufo', signs in Italian and English guide you around four…

  • Abbazia di Sant'Antimo

    Abbazia di Sant'Antimo

    11.09 MILES

    The serenely beautiful Romanesque Abbazia di Sant’Antimo lies in a valley just below the village of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, 11km from Montalcino. The…

  • Duomo

    Duomo

    13.4 MILES

    Pienza's duomo was built on the site of the Romanesque Chiesa di Santa Maria, of which little remains. The Renaissance church with its handsome travertine…

  • Museo Archeologico Etrusco di Chiusi

    Museo Archeologico Etrusco di Chiusi

    17.09 MILES

    Small but outstanding, Chuisi's Etruscan museum boasts a bevy of ceramics, pottery, jewellery and cinerary urns (for cremation ashes) dating from between…

  • Parco Archeologico 'Città del Tufo'

    Parco Archeologico 'Città del Tufo'

    15.99 MILES

    The picturesque towns of Pitigliano, Sovana and Sorano form a triangle enclosing a dramatic landscape where local buildings have been constructed from the…

  • Garden of Daniel Spoerri

    Garden of Daniel Spoerri

    5.57 MILES

    Set in the wild surrounds of Seggiano, this sculpture garden is the passionate project of Romanian–Swiss artist Daniel Spoerri (b 1930), who created many…

View more attractions

Nearby Southern Tuscany attractions

1. Abbadia San Salvatore

0.54 MILES

Founded by the Lombards in the 8th century, this abbey was originally entrusted to the Benedictines but later passed to the Cistercians. An important stop…

2. Garden of Daniel Spoerri

5.57 MILES

Set in the wild surrounds of Seggiano, this sculpture garden is the passionate project of Romanian–Swiss artist Daniel Spoerri (b 1930), who created many…

3. Museum of Asian Art & Culture

6.62 MILES

Opened in 2017, this beautifully presented multimedia museum next to the medieval fortress in Archidosso showcases the art, craft and cultures of the…

4. Abbazia di Sant'Antimo

11.09 MILES

The serenely beautiful Romanesque Abbazia di Sant’Antimo lies in a valley just below the village of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, 11km from Montalcino. The…

5. La Foce

11.37 MILES

Built in four stages between 1924 and 1939, these formal gardens were commissioned by Anglo-American expat Iris Origo and her Italian husband Antonio…

7. Duomo

13.4 MILES

Pienza's duomo was built on the site of the Romanesque Chiesa di Santa Maria, of which little remains. The Renaissance church with its handsome travertine…

8. Palazzo Piccolomini

13.42 MILES

This magnificent palace was the residence of Pope Pius II, and is considered Bernardo Rossellino's masterpiece. Built on the site of the pope's family…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "italy/tuscany/monte-amiata/attractions/mineral-park-museum/a/poi-sig/1573190/1342103",
  "destination": "Southern-Tuscany",
  "continent": "Europe",
  "country": "Italy",
  "region": "Southern-Tuscany",
  "position": "superzone"
}