- chapter 35: The architectural heritage of Etruria –
Figure 35.7 Sora, temple with Etruscan round mouldings. Photo: Ingrid Edlund-Berry.European architecture, whether in churches or monumental public buildings.^42 Whether
its Etruscan heritage was acknowledged is debatable, but the form can be found also in
very modern buildings where the moulding is applied as a separate strip onto a brick or
cement wall, thus creating a horizontal transition between fl oors.^43
ETRUSCAN WALLSOne can speculate over what a visitor to Etruria during the latter centuries of the
Roman Republic would actually have been able to see of Etruscan buildings, including
the monumental temples. What would have been in full view, however, were the very
impressive city walls that served to protect the Etruscan cities from invaders, including
the Romans.^44 Even in cities where the steep hills on which they were built served as
natural fortifi cations, the circuit of walls and heavily defended gates sent any potential
intruder a message not only of the inhabitants’ intent on defense but also of their highly
developed technical engineering skill in creating the walls. Of course, as we know from
the ancient texts, the Etruscan cities ultimately fell to Rome, but the walls and the
gates were preserved as a visual reminder to generations to come of who the original
builders were. In the handbooks on Etruscan cities, the city walls are often referred to
as of Etrusco-Roman date, and as a further indication of continuity, many walls were
later incorporated into Medieval and later fortifi cation systems, as seen for example at
Castiglion Fiorentino (Figure 35.8a–b).^45
ETRUSCAN MONUMENTAL TOMBSIn intentional contrast to the Etruscan cities perched on top of steep hills were the
cemeteries, placed along the roads leading out of the cities or on the slopes of hills. These