Until 8th March, the exhibition of the Etruscans will be running and is being held at the Palace of Exhibitions at 194 Nazionale street, in Rome of course. It is the ideal opportunity to try to better understand the mysterious world of this people, the first formidable opponent of ancient Rome, who then, subdued and incorporated the people and Rome gained even greater power.
The exhibition is organized under the initiative of Regione Lazio – Department of Culture Sport and Entertainment with the direct participation of the Ministry for Cultural Heritage. This shows strong support for an important exhibition. The exhibition is divided into two parts that are about two different historical periods: the first, with the development of several Etruscan cities and their gradual differentiation from an artistic point of view but more generally cultural. The second, however, tells of the relationships of heterogeneous cities with the growing power of Rome and their relationship of mutual influence and antagonism.
The first part focuses on the description of the major Etruscan cities which were: Veio, Cerveteri, Vulci, and the famous Tarquinia.
The first (Veio) is the city of coroplastica or production of terracotta which was used to cover the roofs of buildings. In the Palazzo there’s also a reconstruction of part of the Temple of Apollo with the statues of Apollo, Latona and Heracles placed on top of the roof.
The name “Cerveteri? is mainly linked to the famous necropolis and the exhibition is based on the funerary architecture linked to the necropolis. You can then see an entire life-size tomb, which gave new life in the ceremonies of the Archaic Age, in which great importance was given to the worship of ancestors.
The exhibition about Vulci is based around monuments and sculpture in the local stone and works of the nearby town of Ischia di Castro that produced mythical animals, placed at the entrance to the tombs. Together with Cerveteri, Vulci was one of the main destinations of the major trade flows from Greece, which traded in fine ceramics, and then went on to all the other smaller cities of Etruria. Here you see large vessels and Greek style masterpieces in the form of paintings, which greatly influenced Ertruscan art.
Finally, the most famous city of all, Tarquinia. Hundreds of tombs from this city are exposed to show paintings from the early historic and Hellenistic eras, which makes it the city’s largest art gallery of works from the ancient world, from before Pompei. The tombs were discovered in the early seventies in the sacred area of Gravisca, the ancient port of Tarquinia and the discovery was crucial for the study of economy which jump started commercial relations in the Tyrrhenian Sea, testifying for the first time the opening of an Etruscan shop used mainly by Greek merchants. The church of Gravisca is re-evoked through the exhibition of many offerings of worship made by visitors and also through the virtual reconstruction of the chapel of Adonis, where they celebrated the annual event of the cycle of death and rebirth of a young hero.
Access to the Palazzo delle Esposizioni, where you can see this and other exhibitions, costs 12.5 euros and concessions are €10.
If you want to know more about the Art and History of Etrurian’s land, this exhibition is an excellent starting point. Then book an appartamento a Roma in the centre which will allow you easy access to major exhibitions. The appartamenti a Roma are a good alternative to hotels and a solution for a more family orientated and intimate choice.