- Giovanna Bagnasco Gianni –
Ara della Regina sanctuaryThe Ara della Regina sanctuary was built in monumental features from its very
architectural beginning to become one of the largest in Etruria. The detailed publication
of the Archaic phases (from the beginning of the sixth to the end of the fi fth century bc)
is now available.^13 The sanctuary had, on the whole, approximately four main phases
built one on top of the other, taking advantage of the foundations and of the previous
elevations of the Temples, according to a practice well known in Magna Graecia and
Sicily (Fig. 29.9).
The fi rst two phases had a similar layout with a high base of regular leveling courses
of stone blocks (34 x 55 m) built to enlarge the hill and create a fl at ground level on
top of which a podium was built to host Temple I (around 570 bc) and, shortly after,
Temple II (around 530 bc). Temple I had an elongated cella with pronaos (12 x 27 m) that
became the core of Temple II when it was equipped with two alae. It was much larger
than Temple I (25 x 40 m) and decorated with terracotta plaques. The area in front of the
east entrance to both temples was delimited by a polychrome wall (wall γ), which can
be followed for 40 meters, and had the function to both control the thrust of the earth
from the hill behind and adjust the ground level around a stone chest located in front
of the south-east corner of the Temple (Figs. 29.10–11). The stone chest had a different
Figure 29.9 Tarquinia, Ara della Regina sanctuary, aerial view (LiDAR). Courtesy of Università degli
Studi di Milano, “Progetto Tarquinia,” archive.Figure 29.10 Tarquinia, Ara della Regina sanctuary, from the West. Courtesy of Università degli Studi
di Milano, “Progetto Tarquinia,” archive.