Art of Italy: Etruscans
The Etruscans were a civilization culturally and socially highly evolved of ancient Italy, who settled in a wide area from then on known as Etruria, corresponding to Tuscany, Umbria and the northern part of Latium. The expansion and the influence of Etruscan spread to the south towards coast of Campania and to the north to occupy an extensive portion of the Po Valley in the current Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy.
The origins and the provenance of the Etruscans is not yet very clear: according to some sources, including the Greek historian Herodotus (484-425 BC), it is believed that they came from Asia minor, according to other sources it seems that they were related with the Trojans (thesis supported by Virgil); other traditions share their civilization with ancient Sardinians, according to another tradition they should be considered as natives. Whatever their true origin, it seems certain that the first Etruscan people overlapped on Villanovan civilization (see “Prehistory and Italic Art“) from the tenth century BC, assimilating different traditions and skills. The expansion and development of Etruscan civilization accelerate between the eighth and seventh century BC, continuing until the clash with the emerging power of Rome, which since the conquest of Veio (396 BC) began a long process of conquest and assimilation of Etruscan civilization in the Romans which finally completed in the first century BC.
The artistic and cultural heritage left by the Etruscans is immense and can be found in the numerous archaeological sites scattered in the regions mentioned above: ancient ruins, walls, necropolis and various architectural elements that distinguish centers as Cerveteri, Tarquinia, Veio, Vulci, Bolsena (Latium); Populonia, Vetulonia, Volterra, Arezzo, Chiusi, Roselle (Tuscany); Orvieto, Perugia (Umbria), in addition to countless examples of refined art like sculptures in bronze and iron, pottery, the urns and vases decorations: collections of inestimable value preserved in the museums of Italy. Really noteworthy is also the fact that Etruscans have left indelible traces found in religion, in customs and in buildings of ancient Rome.
Tags: Archaeology, Art, Civilizations, Culture
