ETRUSCAN ARCHITECTURE

The Etruscans were an ancient Italian civilization  Many mythological themes: animals,
in the region today known as Tuscany, who thrived heroes and gods
from roughly 700-480 BCE. This ancient culture
lived before the Romans, sharing the Mediterranean ETRUSCAN ARCHITECTURE
world with mighty powers like the Greeks. Etruscan
architecture, like most of their culture, reflected  Their buildings were usually made of wood,
influences from the powerful Greeks, mixed with terracotta, tufa and tavertine
strong local customs. The Etruscan style dominated Note: Tufa is a kind of limestone that is very
Italy, eventually influencing the Romans to do as common in Italy.
they do.  The only architecture from Etruscan that
survives are its Tombs
Though you may not have heard of them, the  Walls were covered hundreds of everyday items
Etruscans were the first "superpower" of the
carved in a low relief
Western Mediterranean who, alongside the
 Sculptures put on rooftops to announce
Greeks, developed the earliest true cities in Europe.
They were so successful, in fact, that the most presence deity within
important cities in modern Tuscany (Florence, Pisa,
HOUSES
and Siena to name a few) were first established by
the Etruscans and have been continuously inhabited  It did not survived because they did not
since then.
used good quality of materials
 Their houses were the basis of their tombs
Yet the labels ‘mysterious’ or ‘enigmatic’ are often
attached to the Etruscans since none of their own TOMBS
histories or literature survives. This is particularly
ironic as it was the Etruscans who were responsible  Its construction was similar to that of the
for teaching the Romans the alphabet and for domestic dwelling
spreading literacy throughout the Italian peninsula.  modeled after Etruscan homes
 emphasized afterlife
ETRUSCAN  Their tombs was tightly packed in Necropoli
throughout Tuscany ( in Italy)- named after
 Etruscan people were the first historic
the Etruscans
people in Italy
 Most tombs are round with door leading to
a large interior chamber
 Etruscan writing has still not been
 Interior chamber is brightly painted to
deciphered
reflect interior of a house
 Decorated like Egyptian rock cut tombs
 Their religion was very similar to Egyptian
 Decorations to provide the necessities &
and Greek; they were polytheistic & share
same gods as the Greeks but they had a entertainment for the afterlife
strong belief in afterlife like the Egyptians  Tombs have symbols of Etruscan lifestyle on
walls
ETRUSCAN ART  Entire families (with servant) are buried in
one tomb
 Most Etruscan art is funeral
*Burials were an important part of Etruscan
 It is usually related to funerals, tombs and culture
afterlife themes
Types of burials
 Heavy use of bronze and terracotta
 1. Trench or pit
2. Molder or CANOPEN
3. Cipo
4. Settimello
5. Hypogeum
6. Burial mound

*Etruscan urns made to contain the ashes of human

remains

TEMPLES

 The superstructure of Etruscan temples was

built from wood & mud brick that was
often covered in stucco, plaster, or painted
for decoration
 The temple had a stone or tufa foundation
and the roof was covered in protective
terracotta tiles, which consisted of the
temple's archaeological remains.
 Columns were smooth and did not surround
temple
 Single flight of stairs leading to main entrance
(not steps surrounding the whole building)
 High podium
 Three room cellas
 Inspired by Greeks- pediments, columns, cella
Architect Virtruvius wrote about their temples
a lot

Key points:
Dome was Eastern influenced

Tumuli or earthen mound entrances

Tumulus was designed to look like an Etruscan

dining room or triclinium

*Etruscans were also known as:

 Road builders
 Engineers (water systems)
 Sculptors
 Painters
 Farmers
 Sailors or Seafarers
 Horsemen
 Merchants with contacts abroad