Earlier this week we had the opportunity to visit the museum where the Etrsucan sarcophagi are held. Before coming to study abroad I hardly had learned anything about the Etruscans or the Athenean people. In my medieval history class this semester we have touched on the Etruscans and all that we have learned simply from their burial arrangements. When we went on our first tour of Viterbo, our guide mentioned Etruscan several times in relation to architecture, settlements, and the beginnings of Viterbo. I really didn’t understand what these people were all about or much history behind them at all until we went to the museum.
The museum is about a 7 minute walk from our campus, and we were lucky enough to be able to walk around the sarcophagi and inside the actual museum for free, because we were students. At first it was difficult for me to really understand how old these tombs were. How well they had been preserved over the centuries, and how incredibly rare they were. The only information we know on the Etruscans are what they have learned by studying the tombs and the images on the tombs. The Etruscans lived between the second and fourth century BC, these carved pieces of stone are incredibly old. When you walk into the outer part of the museum, the sarcophagi wraps around the center cloister. Along most of the walls are signs written about most of the tombs. They tell the story of these people that were buried in these incredibly designed sarcophagi.
The sarcophagi themselves were incredibly interesting. Even if you hadn’t read the signs, the tombs were so eye catching and detailed it really made you focus on what you were seeing. They ranged in size, shape, and decorative function. Some of them were smaller than others, these were generally the ones for the children, one in particular was an 8 year old daughter. To show the rich from the poor the sculpted deceased person placed on top of the sarcophagi would wear sculpted jewels, showing the kind of family they came from. They all also used to be colored. The color has since faded over the years, but in some areas you can still see faint red paint from the decoration process of these tombs. I tried to imagine what they looked like when they had first been sculpted. No scratches or missing pieces, or faded color. I wonder if they would have ever thought that outsiders would be looking at their family tombs. So crazy to think about. Some of the heads of the tombs have fallen off, some collected, and some are just headless statues. All of which are laying on their side in some manner across their sarcophagi. I found it interesting because all of the tombs seemed rather narrow. We all kept remarking how thin and long the person must have been to fit in there.
After walking around the cloister we went inside the actual museum. It reminded me a lot of this museum back home that’s super close to my house. It’s an egypitan museum, so like this Etruscan one, they have a lot of their recovered tools and pots. I always enjoy looking at these not only to try to wrap my head around the fact that some used these, but also how well they have been preserved. I always enjoy the paintings on the side of the pots or vases. After leaving the museum I could help but have some unanswered questions. Where are the bodies now, had they recovered them? What were the Etruscans funerals like? How long did it take to create these sarcophagi. I’m hoping throughout the semester these questions will be answered for me. I also can’t wait to continue to explore Viterbo and see what other ancient Etruscan pieces we have lying around the town.
Alex's Travel Blog 