Unit ETRUSCOLOGY

Course

Italian, classical studies and european history

Study-unit Code

GP005350

Curriculum

Civiltà e cultura dell'antico

Teacher

Lucio Fiorini

Teachers

Lucio Fiorini

Hours

36 ore - Lucio Fiorini

CFU

Course Regulation

Coorte 2024

Offered

2025/26

Learning activities

Affine/integrativa

Area

Attività formative affini o integrative

Academic discipline

L-ANT/06

Type of study-unit

Opzionale (Optional)

Type of learning activities

Attività formativa monodisciplinare

Language of instruction

Italian

Contents

The Etruscology course offers an integrated exploration of the history, society, and art of the Etruscan world, beginning with the long–standing question of its origins and the various archaeological, linguistic, and literary hypotheses that seek to explain its emergence. Next, the course will examine the Etruscan landscape and the development of its settlements, from the earliest agrarian communities to the rise of major city–states such as Veii, Cerveteri, Tarquinia, Chiusi, and Volterra. Special emphasis will be placed on artistic and craft production: from decorated coarse wares and bucchero to imported ceramics, from goldsmithing to stone and bronze sculpture, investigating techniques, raw materials, and exchange networks. Architectural aspects will be studied in their multiple forms, from temples (both in antis and peripteral) to private dwellings, and on to public infrastructures such as roads and aqueducts. The religious and funerary sphere will be approached through the study of cult practices, divinatory rituals, and the various tomb types (tumulus and chamber), as well as the characteristic painted decorations. Iconography and symbolism will then be explored, highlighting figurative motifs and cultural interactions with the Greek and Near Eastern worlds to reveal both continuity and innovation. An examination of Etruscan economy and politics will consider agricultural production, craft industries, trade routes, and both internal relations among Etruscan cities and external contacts with Greeks, Celts, and Carthaginians. The concluding segment of the course will address the decline and Romanization of Etruria, analyzing the phases of crisis, the process of integration into Roman Italy, and the transmission of Etruscan heritage into classical culture.

Reference texts

Recommended Reading: Mario Torelli, Storia degli etruschi, Bari: Edizioni Laterza (various editions). Mario Torelli, Il rango, il rito, l’immagine, Milan, 1997. G. Bartoloni (ed.), Introduzione all’etruscologia, Milan, 2012. R. Bianchi Bandinelli & M. Torelli, L’arte dell’antichità classica, Turin: UTET, 1976. Further references will be provided during lectures.

Educational objectives

The Etruscology course aims to: Provide a solid understanding of the key stages of Etruscan civilization, with particular attention to the processes of formation and the cultural dynamics that shaped its identity. Develop the ability to read and critically interpret archaeological, epigraphic, and literary sources, applying methods of historical, typological, and iconographic analysis. Acquire skills in the investigation of production techniques and artistic materials, as well as in the reconstruction of funerary and ritual contexts. Deepen knowledge of the territorial and urban organization models of Etruria, understanding the evolution of settlements and exchanges with other Mediterranean cultures. Encourage the use of archaeological research tools and relative and absolute dating methodologies, for accurate chronological contextualization of sites. Foster the ability to independently produce a critical dossier, integrating surveys, iconographic data, and comparative analysis, in order to develop a rigorous and interdisciplinary approach to study.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites are required.

Teaching methods

The course will be delivered primarily through lectures, complemented by conferences given by scholars and industry professionals. Optional field trips will also be organized, allowing students to engage directly on site with the monuments and archaeological locations under study

Other information

Since the topics are of great importance, the student follows with great interest and usually reaches optimal votes if not excellent. The attendance is strongly recommended as listening to the lessons can be extremely suitable for better and more thorough knowledge of the themes that will be covered by the test exam

Learning verification modality

The exam includes only the final oral test consisting of a discussion-interview on the topics discussed during the course and examined in-depth through recommended texts.The test aims at assuring the level of knowledge and understanding, as well as synthesis, achieved by the student. Moreover, this interview will verify that the student is able to communicate, with method, propriety of language and of exposure, what he has acquired. The duration of the test varies depending on the performance of the test itself For information on support services for students with disabilities and/or DSA visit the page http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa

Extended program

The Etruscology course opens with a comprehensive examination of the question of origins, comparing the principal autochthonous, migratory, and diffusionist theories in light of the latest archaeological discoveries, linguistic studies, and literary evidence. It then explores the sacred and secular geography of Etruria, reconstructing the agrarian and riverine landscapes that fostered the earliest settlements, before tracing the urban development of its city-states—from dispersed hamlets and fortified villages to the monumental defensive and civic structures of Veii, Cerveteri, Tarquinia, Chiusi, and Volterra. The focus then shifts to artistic and craft production, offering a detailed analysis of the manufacturing processes behind bucchero and other Etruscan ceramics, the casting and chasing techniques of goldsmithing, and the methods used to work stone and bronze. In the architecture module, we will investigate temple typologies, the organization of sacred and civic spaces, and the hydraulic engineering underlying aqueducts, paved roads, and drainage systems. Through the study of rituals and funerary customs, we will delve into tumulus and chamber necropoleis, illustrating the painted iconography of tomb walls, the sequence of burial furnishings, and the complex system of religious beliefs that links divinatory rites, sacrifices, and ritual banquets. An iconography section will relate key figurative motifs and decorative schemes to Greek and Anatolian mythologies, identifying channels of stylistic exchange and innovation. The course concludes with a study of Etruria’s gradual decline and Romanization: by examining epigraphic sources and urban transformations, we will see how public and private buildings were repurposed or replaced, and how Etruscan cultural traditions were assimilated into Roman society.

Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile

Quality education