Terre di Sacra

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On the trail of the Etruscans in Southern Tuscany

Terre di Sacra, Capalbio Excursions in Maremma

Southern Tuscany is renowned for its wild nature and untouched beaches. But there is more. Just follow the trail of the Etruscans in Southern Tuscany and you can plan unforgettable holidays at Terre di Sacra.

Charming holidays and Etruscan history

Starting from Terre di Sacra, you can reach countless Etruscan sites in little more than an hour. Especially off-season, these sites are attended by enthusiasts only and visiting them alone will certainly be a memorable experience.

The Etruscans were a sophisticated people who, at the peak of their expansion, dominated a territory that extended from Southern Lombardy to Northern Campania. Over about 600 years, this population, probably born in Central Italy, founded countless cities that are still visible today.

While visiting the Cities of the Tufo, necropolis and archeological parks, you will be fascinated by the beauty of frescos, the amazing style of jewelry and geometry of buildings. Etruscan sites in Southern Tuscany will certainly enrich your stay at Terre di Sacra. 

Vetulonia, the lost city

Vetulonia’s history is really intriguing.

Despite being one of the most relevant Etruscan cities, at some point it vanished from history without a trace. During the Middle Ages, very little was known about Vetulonia and the scarce information was provided only by classical writers such as Dionysius of Halicarnassus and Pliny. There were no documents identifying the city and not even a name on a map to show where to look for.   

It was only in 1880 that Dr Isidoro Falchi, a physician passionate about archaeology, decided to carry out some research in a location called Colonna di Buriano, his attention being drawn by numerous archaeological finds discovered in the area. Falchi was the first to see a connection between such finds and the lost city. After a few years of excavations, it was finally clear that Colonna di Buriano was actually the ancient Vetulonia and, on July, 22nd 1887 a Royal Decree restored the city’s original name.

You can now see the most interesting finds discovered in the area in the new Museum “Isidoro Falchi” in the center of Vetulonia.

Roselle: memories from the life at the time of the Etruscans in Tuscany

In the VII century b.C., various pre-existing Etruscan villages gathered to form Roselle, a city located near Lacus Prilius, a lake that once occupied most of the plains near Grosseto.

Ancient Rusellae became one the 12 state-cities of the Etruscan League and all the surrounding minor settlements became part of the city.

Today, Roselle is an amazing archaeological park open to visitors most of the year.  Although most buildings are little more than ruins covered by brambles and vegetation, the archaeological park gives you a rare vision of how the Etruscans lived in Tuscany.

The cities of Tufo: Pitigliano, Sorano and Sovana

La presenza degli etruschi nel sud della Toscana è testimoniata in tantissimi siti che non possiamo elencare tutti in questo post. Vi rimandiamo a questo articolo su tre delle più affascinanti e straordinarie città etrusche della Maremma. Pitigliano, Sorano e Sovana sono anche conosciute come le città del tufo per la pietra nella quale sono quasi interamente scolpite. L’escursione è raccomandata soprattutto al tramonto per poter ammirare la luce dorata dei raggi del sole che colorano il tufo.