The Etruscan World (Routledge Worlds)

• Ingrid Edlund-Berry –

Figure 35.8a–b Castiglion Fiorentino, Medieval wall and Etruscan gate. Photos: Ingrid Edlund-Berry.

were the cities of the dead, and while the tomb chambers often resembled the houses
of the living with doorways and windows carved in the volcanic rock, the monumental
tumulus mounds that covered the tombs at Caere/Cerveteri and other sites created a
vision of earth reaching the sky, perhaps as a link between the deities of the Underworld
and those of the heavens. Although the burial grounds varied from city to city, it is
noteworthy that the Romans developed monumental tombs for their rulers and members
of important families, perhaps inspired by tomb monuments familiar to them from their
Etruscan neighbors.^46

THE ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE OF ETRURIA

As suggested by the examples above, the architectural heritage of Etruria is refl ected in
many different ways, whether in the overall plan or in minute details. Overall, however,
what is important is the connection between the location of buildings and the setting in
the landscape. Whether viewed from afar or close up, a building is appreciated in terms
of how its approach and access relate to the surrounding area. As Etruscan buildings
and building details were viewed by neighbors and travelers, and even by their enemies,
ideas were transmitted, fi rst to Rome, where they were incorporated into already existing
traditions, and later examined by Vitruvius as examples of systems comparable to those
of the Greek architectural world. With the Renaissance architects as our intermediaries
we can thus view with our own eyes the traditions of the Tuscan architectural form, at
the same time as the archaeological evidence provides a wealth, confusing at times, of
examples of Etruscan innovations in city planning, temple designs, houses and gathering
places, fortifi cation systems, and funerary architecture. What the Romans and other
peoples in Italy perceived as Etruscan-inspired traditions became incorporated into the
architectural practices of Italy, many of which have disappeared with time, while others
such as the Etruscan round mouldings, have survived, surprisingly, in the architectural
world of today.