Pozzo Etrusco (Etruscan Well), Perugia

The Pozzo Etrusco, or Etruscan Well, lies hidden beneath Palazzo Sorbello just off Piazza Danti, a short walk from Perugia's cathedral. Dug in the 4th to 3rd century BC, it is one of the most remarkable engineering works left by the Etruscans in Umbria, sinking some 37 metres into the hillside and once supplying water to the ancient city of Perusia. Visitors enter through a small ticket office and descend a modern staircase into the shaft, emerging onto a footbridge suspended over the dark water at the bottom. From here the scale of the cistern becomes clear: the well is capped by two enormous travertine beams, each weighing several tonnes, that span the opening and once supported the well-head above. The lower courses of huge, precisely cut stone blocks, laid without mortar, show the skill of Etruscan masons, while the upper section is built of smaller travertine pieces. Cool, damp and dimly lit, the well is a striking contrast to the streets above, and information panels explain its construction and place in the city's water supply. A visit is short, typically around thirty minutes, including the climb down and back up the same stair. The well is rarely crowded, though it can feel tight when a tour group descends, so coming on a weekday or at opening keeps it quiet. It pairs naturally with the nearby cathedral of San Lorenzo, the Fontana Maggiore and the Arco Etrusco, forming a short circuit through the Etruscan and medieval heart of Perugia, the regional capital of Umbria. Admission is modest, around three euros, and the same ticket sometimes gives access to the historic rooms of Palazzo Sorbello above.