Untitled - Davide Lifestyle

a) Decorative panel from Velletri. 530 B.C. Naples, Archeological Museum b) Ambush of Troilus by Achilles. 540 B.C. Tarquinia, Tomb of the Bulls
c) Warrior from Brolio. 550 B.C. Florence, Archeological Museum
same as the day when the entrance had been walled up, and the
ancient Etruria appeared to us in all its splendor. On their funeral
biers, warriors in complete suits of armor seemed to be resting from
their battles against the Romans and the Gauls. For a few minutes
we saw shapes, clothes, fabric and colors. Then the outside air
entered … and everything vanished.” (A. N. des Vergers, L’Étrurie et
les étrusques ou dix ans de fouilles dans les Maremmes toscanes, Paris,
1864). The Etruscans were skilled tradesmen, and the bridges,
canals, and temples they built indicate their architectural skill. Few
traces remain of their cities, and we mainly know about them through
their necropolises, with tombs that reproduced the typical shapes and
furnishings of their homes. The frescos in the tombs of Tarquinia,
Chiusi, Vulci, and Orvieto provide fi ne examples of ancient art where
the human fi gure predominates scenes of everyday life, funeral rites,
and also themes concerning the afterlife. But sculpture was the
preferred art form of the Etruscans. The cities of southern Etruria
specialized in terra cotta products, while local stone (limestone,
sandstone, and alabaster) was primarily worked in the north. Bronze
statues were made in Vulci, Arezzo (where the famous Chimera statue
was discovered), and in Umbria. Bronze plaques used to decorate
furnishings and wagons were manufactured in Perugia and Vulci.
Metal objects included small statues, oil lamps and vases, besides
engraved bronze mirrors (of which thousands have been unearthed).
The Etruscans’ extraordinary ability to work metal achieved new
a b
heights through the art of jewelry-making. In the 7 th century B.C.
Caere specialized in making jewelry using the granulation technique,
“… then there are meadows, fi elds, and vineyards everywhere.” (Pliny
the Younger, Epistolae, 5,6). Agriculture – especially grains (spelt
and white wheat) – and grape-growing were extremely important.
The best wines supposedly came from Chianti, but also from Orvieto,
Todi, and Veio. A typical Etruscan invention is the alberate training
system, where the vines are supported by trees (this technique was
used in Italy up until the 20 th century). “There are differences
of interpretation, however, between our countrymen and the
Etruscans … We think that because clouds collide, therefore lightning
is emitted; they hold that clouds collide in order that lightning may
c