Our guest editor for this issue is art historian Laura Morelli, Phd
Who Were The Etruscans?
Countless books, courses, and documentaries center around the theme of the “mysterious Etruscans.” Historians have fueled this concept of the Etruscans as somehow difficult to understand or interpret. The truth is that we know a lot about the Etruscans—even more than we know about many other cultures of the ancient Mediterranean. We unravel some of the mysteries in this primer.
Art & Afterlife in Etruria: Visiting Etruscan Tombs
Much of our knowledge of the Etruscans comes from the incredible troves of material goods yielded from this well-established funerary culture. It’s through tomb excavations that we have the greatest treasures of Etruscan art, and that we gain the most knowledge about the Etruscans themselves. We share with you the best tombs to visit in Lazio and Tuscany.
Where to See Etruscan Art: Italian Collections You Don’t Want to Miss
No matter where you go in Italy, incorporate some Etruscan art into your visit. We detail the best places to find these treasure troves, from the National Etruscan Museum in Rome to the Tarquinia National Archeological Museum.
These are the works that will take your breath away and take you deeper into the world of the Etruscans. Find out about the “Sarcophagus of the Spouses” that was discovered during the course of archaeological excavations in 1881 at the Banditaccia necropolis, outside of Cerveteri. See the Chimera of Arezzo, This famous bronze was found in 1553, at the height of the Italian Renaissance, and captivated a member of the Medici family. And learn the stories of other masterpieces.