Rome, Italy (Etruscans)

 8 May 2024 - Rome, Italy (Etruscans)

Went back to the Pantheon to do an audio tour, spent a couple hours just soaking in the history and atmosphere.  Not as crowded as before.  So grateful to spend time at a place I have wanted to visit since college.

Spent a day at the National Etruscan Museum with artifacts dating from the Bronze Age. These people predated the Romans in northern and central Italy and were defeated/absorbed into the Roman culture.  Romans were very influenced by their arts and beliefs.  Etruscans traded with Egyptians, Greeks, Phoenicians and other cultures in the European area. They influenced, and, in turn, were influenced by all these cultures. Archeologists don’t know exactly where they came from, but current thought is they came from the Troy area, after the Trojan War, in the 12th or 13th century BC. All day we looked at artifacts that dated from 1,000 years ago to around 100 BC.  Made the Roman era look recent by comparison. The visit helped me understand that the cultures from that long ago weren’t just simplistic agrarian societies, they had complex society rules and traditions and were skilled craftsmen. The Etruscan alphabet was the immediate ancestor of the Latin alphabet. The women enjoyed the same rights in society as the men - apparently this was a big sticking point with the Romans.

A view from the floor of the Pantheon up to the oculus in the roof.

The beam from the oculus on a sunny day moves around the interior, landing on the center of the floor at noon

The light appears like a spotlight, highlighting some of the chapels for a few minutes as it moves on.

The main altar of the church that calls the ancient pagan Pantheon home.  This building is the best preserved ancient Roman structure, partly because it was converted to a church early and wasn’t stripped as other Roman buildings.

Enjoyed a drink and snack on the Piazza Navona.

The Etruscan Museum is housed in a 16th century palace near the Tiber river.

The gardens of the palace were quite large.  This section houses a replica of an Etruscan temple as well as a bust of the founder of the museum.

A cutaway shows a portion of a wall that existed before some remodeling took place. Everywhere we saw indications of buildings being used as a foundation or part of a structure for building a newer building.

A partial reconstruction of a temple showing that ceramic figureheads were used to line the roof lines of temples.

There was little evidence that a 16th century palace existed inside the museum.  The interior had been completely modernized to house the artifacts.

The Etruscans were skilled artists in terracotta.

I wonder if M.C. Escher ever saw this pot of a man changing into a dolphin.

A replica of the burial chamber where these artifacts were found.  This person had status - he had a chariot  for his afterlife.

The individual who owned this was a warrior.  He was buried with his helmet and a large shield.  Must have been pretty strong to hold that and swing a sword or club at the same time.

Etruscans were known for their decorative pots which were traded all over Europe.  Archeologists were even able to identify some of the artists by the style of paintings they did.

One of the exhibits walked you through one of the tombs with side chambers showing where artifacts were found, including their condition.  

Cremations were a primary means of dealing with the deceased, but burials of bodies would also happen.  This is an early sarcophagus made of clay.

The sarcophagus of the Sposi is one of the most famous Etruscan pieces.  When we visited, part of the cover was removed and in restoration someplace. In its original condition, it was brightly colored.

The Etruscan art originally focused on black figures on red background.  Over time, they evolved to doing red figures on black background.

These pots date from 800 BC!

Detailed etchings describing one of the Argonaut adventures covered this metal container.  The figures on the top were quite detailed.

This container dates from 340 BC.

A Gorgon face (known as Medusa in Roman times - remember the head of snakes?).

I am amazed that the wood inside this scepter is over 1,000 years old!

A full set of armor covered this warrior in his burial chamber. As in Egypt and elsewhere, burial sites were often plundered. The burial chambers were inside very large mounds of dirt, similar to ones seen in the U.S., and England. Several are just a few miles outside of Rome.

A bust of Juno.  Was placed inside a temple. Noted for its detail, both front and back as well as the realism of the draped fabrics.  

Treated ourselves to bread and Italian “butter” (olive oil and balsamic vinegar) for dinner.