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| Things To Know Bella Italia Diverse Regions The People Country of Contrasts Exploring Italy Culinary Traditions Pastimes The Etruscans |
The Etruscans
Travelers in central Italy will frequently come across signs of the Etruscans in monuments, tombs and museums. For centuries
historians have questioned exactly who they were. This enigmatic race preceded the Romans and were at the height of their
power from 800 to 400 bc. They formed a confederacy of 12 cities, built towns, passed laws, traded overseas and believed firmly
in an afterlife. A lively and imaginative people, they also had highly developed cultural, political and social systems. The
Romans, admirers of Etruscan culture, absorbed much of it as they rose to power. By the third century BC the Romans had virtually
assimilated the entire nation, along with much of its language, customs and religious beliefs. Today only the monuments remain,
particularly those to the Etruscan dead. Wonderful finds have been made in these tombs - jewelry, vases, sculpture and frescoes.
They are preserved in museums all over ancient Etruria, the name given to the area they inhabited. You can visit Etruscan
sites at Tarquinia and Cerveteri, both a short distance north of Rome, and see the finest Etruscan collection in the world
at the Villa Giulia museum in Rome.
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