The hills around Massa Marittima, 45 km south-west of Siena, have been extensively mined for various metallic ores and for building stone. The mining museum is located in the town’s central square by the cathedral, but it provides a focus for the interpretation of the area’s industrial heritage.

Tours from the museum guide visits to a variety of sites, including mine workings that extend 700 m into the hillside, and the well-preserved eighteenth-century blast furnaces at Accessa.