Bartoccini Tomb

late 6th century BC.

Discovered in 1959 and dedicated to the then Superintendent of Southern Etruria, this tomb, with its four chambers, is the largest painted tomb and it perfectly represents the concept of the tomb-house. From the large, richly ornamented antechamber, three passages lead into three chambers used for burials. The decoration of the main chamber is sumptuous, with its chequered ceiling in five colours and the main beam decorated with concentric circles. In the gable of the back wall, a magnificent banquet is depicted in great detail. This banquet scene is the only one from the Archaic and Classical period in Tarquinia in which the woman, instead of sharing the kline with her husband, is sitting on a throne, as was the case in Asia Minor (she may therefore belong to one of the many families who immigrated to Etruria from Ionia).

The Etruscan Tombs

News

Facebook