Excavation Museum of Piuro – The “Pompeii of the Alps” Unearthed

📍 Where it is located

The Excavation Museum of Piuro is located in the hamlet of Sant’Abbondio, inside the sacristies of the 18th-century church of the same name, just steps away from the Acquafraggia Waterfalls. It can be easily reached from Chiavenna by taking the SS37 towards Piuro.

🏛️ A museum born to tell a tragedy

The museum was established to preserve and enhance the artifacts found during archaeological excavation campaigns in the area affected by the landslide of 1618. The first opening was in 1972 at the school building in Borgonuovo, curated by the Italo-Swiss Association for the Excavations of Piuro, founded in 1961 in Bern. In 1977, the museum was moved to the church of Sant’Abbondio and, since 1994, has been reconfigured in the sacristies of the church itself, where it still resides.

🖼️ What to see

Although small, the museum offers a rich display of artifacts that testify to the daily life and opulence of ancient Piuro:

• Bell from 1398: cast by Giovanni Enrico of Lorraine, belonged to the church of Santa Maria di Piuro and was found in 1639.
• Soapstone objects: bowls, lavaggi, hydraulic conduits, and molds for metal casting.
• Metal artifacts: swords, buckles, buttons, bolts, locks, oil lamps, and various tools.
• Liturgical objects: crucifixes, silver coins from the Venetian Republic of 1575 and the Duchy of Milan.
• Reassembled skeleton: found in 1963, represents one of the victims of the landslide, discovered in a protective position against the debris flow.
• Coins: found during the 1988 excavations, testify to the lively commercial exchanges of the time.

🕒 Opening hours and tickets

• Opening: from early June to late September, Saturday and Sunday, from 15:00 to 17:00.

For groups of at least 5 people, it is possible to book visits outside standard hours.

📞 Contacts

• Address: Sacristy of the church of Sant’Abbondio, 23020 Piuro (SO)
• Email: info@piuroitalosvizzera.net
• Website: www.piuroitalosvizzera.net

🧭 How to get there

• By car: from Chiavenna, follow the SS37 towards Piuro. The museum is located in the hamlet of Sant’Abbondio.
• By train: Chiavenna station, then continue by public transport or on foot.
• On foot: from the center of Chiavenna, a walk of about 30 minutes along the cycle path that runs alongside the Mera river.

🔍 Why visit it

The Excavation Museum of Piuro offers a journey through time, allowing you to discover the life of a flourishing alpine city, suddenly erased by a natural catastrophe. It is a place that tells stories of daily life, commerce, faith, and tragedy, offering a unique perspective on the history of Valchiavenna.