Siena is unusual in that unlike many Tuscan cities, it isn't located next to a watercourse. To compensate, it has a unique historical network of underground aqueducts known as bottini. This ingenious 25km system of excavated tunnels carries rainwater from the slopes of Mt Amiata to properties and above-ground fountains across the historical city and was in daily use until 1914. Recently opened, this multimedia museum above the Fonti di Pescaia celebrates this extraordinary engineering achievement.
Museum visits include a short walk along a stretch of bottini and are only available by reservation – email a week or so in advance or visit or telephone to check upcoming openings (reservation staff work between 9am and 1.30pm Monday to Friday). Interpretative panels and multimedia presentations are currently only in Italian, but English versions will be introduced at a future date. Guides also take occasional tours through the Fonte Gaia bottini, which leads to the Campo; enquire about these via email.