| This is the most important
Etruscan discovery of all the area; it extends to the south-east of
modern day Tarquinia and to the south of the hill where Civita Etrusca
used to rise. It houses a vast repertoire of tombs, some of which
are worth illustrating for their beauty, fame and importance.
The Tomb of the Lionesses (530 BC, discovered in 1873): this tomb
owes its name to the pair of felines painted, one in front of the
other, on the sides of the ledge on the far wall, which shows a
large crater around which there are two musicians and two groups
of dancers.
The Tomb of the Leopards (approximately one century more recent
than the previous and discovered in 1833): it too is characterized
by the admirable portrayal of two animals facing a twig, in the
gable of the far wall, completely decorated with a banqueting scene,
and three couples lying on beds.
The Tomb of Polyphemus or the Ochre (composed of various room with
two adjacent tombs, then joined, which can be dated back to the
second half of the IV century; discovered in 1868): the most ancient,
of the Spuria family, it is made up of a large quadrangular room
with niches, that could be accessed through a corridor. On the far
wall there is the scene of a feast taking place on a scenic
background; a short stretch of this wall, to the right of the niche,
there is the picture of Caronte; on the side wall, to the right,
there is another festive scene where there still only remains the
beautiful head of a woman (the famous Fanciulla Velcha) and her
husband. Passing through a boxed and carved landscape one enters
the second and most recent tomb, where it is possible to admire
a famous mythological scene: the blinding of Polyphemus; then, through
a mixture of Greek and Etruscan iconography, one recognizes the
infernal divinities and various scenes that take place in the underworld.
The Tomb of the Greetings (530 BC, discovered in 1878): on the
back wall there is a fake door with two men on the side, maybe priests,
in the act of praying. The right wall is painted with a scene of
servants fighting in the presence of a spectator with a red cloak
or maybe a referee; after which there is a portrayal of a cruel
game called Phersu ("Mask"), where a masked person unleashes
a dog and a wolf against a person who is conde mned
and must defend himself with his head is in a hood.
The Tomb of the Bulls (540 BC, discovered in 1892): has a structure
that is formed like a lobby, at the end of which there is the access
to two cells with benches. The space between the two doors shows
a picture of Achilles preparing a trap for Toilo. The ornament on
top shows erotic scenes and bulls.
The Tomb of the Baron or the Horses (500 BC): on the fare wall,
the husband is saying goodbye to the wife in front of two young
horsemen; on the left wall the mother separates herself from her
children and on the right one of the children is saying goodbye
to his brother.
The Queens Altar
To complete the visit, direct yourself to the ancient Etruscan settlement.
By taking state road 1 bis from the necropolis towards Monte Romano
and to the left for 7.3 kilometers, one reaches a country road,
take this road for one kilometer and a half then, left again, take
the road that leads to an old digging site. At this point go to
the North-West until you run into the ancient city walls (V-IV century
BC). Here there you will find the ruins of the Queen's Altar, the
remains of a temple structure of exceptional size (39,25 meters
x 25,35) built in the IV century over much older buildings. A large
clay sculpture, showing two winged horses, decorated the temple
and are now on display in the museum of Palazzo Vitelleschi in Tarquinia.
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