Castel Brio 1906

The Etruscans

The area surrounding nearby Chiusi, from the Chiusi lake to the hilltop village, was the site of an important and rich Etruscan city which, according to legend, was founded by the hero Cluso, son of Tirreno. According to Herodotus he was the Etruscan king who led the migration and gave origin to the Etruscan state. The rich National Etruscan Museum, founded in 1871 to protect the heritage from the numerous thefts in the Chiusi area, offers a historical and artistic testimony of such glory. Another Etruscan splendour well worth visiting, is the nearby Necropolis of Chiusi with the tombs of the Lion, the Pellegrina and the rare frescoes of the Tomb of the Monkey and the Colle Casuccini. The richness of the Etruscan heritage of Chiusi seems never-ending. In 2015 the ‘Sarcophagi of the Princesses’, was discovered containing very rare travertine works surmounted by female figures painted in various colors and gold leaf imitating jewellery dating back to 2600 years ago.

Not far from Chiusi the exceptional thermal sanctuary of S. Casciano dei Bagni, founded by the Etruscans in the 7th c. BC venerated by the Romans and by the Emperor Augustus has recently been discovered. For two years it has brought to light treasures such as 24 bronze statues, gold and jewellery and in a few months a new Etruscan-Roman Museum will be inaugurated.

Our Etruscan journey continues in Perugia among the 11 vast necropolises surrounding the city. Amongst these the Hypogeum of the Volumni stands out (3rd c. BC-1st c. AD) belonging to the vast area of Palazzone. Discovered in the nineteenth century it has been opened since 1963 and, in addition, the National Etruscan Museum of Perugia is worth visiting. We conclude the journey in another celebrated Etruscan capital such as Orvieto. Here the Claudio Faina Etruscan Museum includes finds such as ceramics, bronzes and jewels, Greek and Roman vases and a rich coin collection. Finally, under the Orvieto cliff lies the Etruscan Necropolis of the Crocifisso del Tufo. This necropolis possesses the distinctive quality of its urban organization and is laid out with a regular street plan traced on orthogonal axes.