Etruria: select the pins on the map
The Etruscans are one of the most fascinating and mysterious peoples of antiquity. Also known as Tyrrhenians, their origins lie in a narrative that blends myth and history: according to Herodotus, they arrived in Italy from Lydia, led by Tyrrhenus, following a famine. They settled “among the Umbrians,” in the strip of land that today extends between Tuscany and Lazio.
They had twelve “divine” cities that formed the heart of the Etruscan nation—a sacred and political alliance at the same time, within a recurring symbolism: twelve like the apostoles of Jesus, the zodiac signs, the hours of the clock, the months of the year. A number that resonates across many ancient cultures, perhaps an inheritance of a deeper mathematical thought, such as the Sumerian one based on the number 12.
In addition to their oligarchic and aristocratic political organization, the Etruscans stood out for an extraordinary aspect: the central role of women, free, respected, and present in both public and private life—clearly contrasting with contemporary Greek and Roman societies.
Their artistic culture, refined and expressive, has left us magnificent sarcophagi, frescoes, statues, and mysterious somatic features carved in stone, such as elongated eyes and dolichocephalic skulls, also found among the ancient nobility of Egypt and Sumer.
And yet, we know little about them, partly due to their reluctance to use writing.
To learn more
Etruscans, a mysterious people with origins between ancient Turkey and mythical Atlantis
Arezzo, City of the Etruscan Dodecapolis
Alphabetical index: Arezzo
One of the ancient cities of the Etruscan Dodecapolis, with a millennia-old history rich in art, monuments, and mysteries.
Etruscan Necropolis of Cerveteri
Alphabetical index: Cerveteri
A journey through myth and history in the Etruscan Necropolis of Banditaccia (Cerveteri), among the legends of Atlantis, Aeneas, and the founding of Rome.
Chiusi, Etruscan city, Tuscany
Alphabetical index: Chiusi
An ancient Etruscan city known as Camars, famous for its military role under King Lars Porsenna.
Cortona, Etruscan City in Tuscany
Alphabetical index: Cortona
From the origins of Curtun to the cyclopean walls, from monumental necropolises to the renowned Tabula Cortonensis — the heart of Etruscan civilization in Tuscany.
Etruscan Pyramid of Bomarzo
Alphabetical index: Etruscan pyramid
The Etruscan Pyramid of Bomarzo is a large block of soft stone carved into steps.
Foro Romano, Rome, Italy
Alphabetical index: Foro Romano, Roma
A symbolic place in the history of Rome, the Roman Forum was for over a millennium the nerve center of the city’s public, political, religious, and commercial life.
Perugia and its Etruscan Origins, Italy
Alphabetical index: Perugia
Cyclopean walls, monumental gates like the Arch of Augustus, and remnants of a millennial civilization still visible in the heart of Umbria.
Populonia, Etruscan city, Italy
Alphabetical index: Populonia
Populonia, the only coastal Etruscan city, was an important commercial and metallurgical center of Etruria.
Etruscan Necropolis of Tarquinia
Alphabetical index: Tarquinia
Etruscan necropolis of Tarquinia, one of the cities of the Dodecapolis, featuring 22 painted hypogea dating back to the 7th century BC.