IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE ETRUSCANS
Perugia – Etruscan monuments and Museum – An Etruscan approach to Perugia starts with the circuit of Etruscan walls and their monumental gates. The imposing Etruscan Arch (or Arch of Augustus) is the most important among these. The Sorbello well, also in the acropolis, is an extraordinary example of Etruscan hydraulic engineering and urban archeology.
The National Archaeological Museum of Umbria holds a very large collection, including the reconstruction of the Cai Cutu family tomb.
Surrounding areas – The Necropolises - Leaving the town and heading toward Assisi, in the Piscille-Ponte San Giovanni area, one finds the Volumni Hypogeum, one of the most important examples of Etruscan funerary architecture. This large tomb is part of the vast Palazzone necropolis, which has roughly 200 tombs. An antiquarium has been set up nearby.
Continuing toward Deruta-Todi, with a detour to Torgiano, home of the Wine Museum, one comes to Bettona, encircled by Etruscan walls. Along the road there is a chamber tomb that can be visited. In Collemancio di Cannara, the ruins of an Italic temple dominate the valley from the top of a hill. Other important necropolises can be visited on the west side of Perugia. Particularly interesting is the San Manno Hypogeum, located in the Ferro di Cavallo area and incorporated in a small 14th-century church. Continuing along the Via Pievaiola toward Castel del Piano, one comes to the Strozzacapponi necropolis. The site is provided with information panels and a good lighting system.
North of Perugia, in the direction of San Marco-Colle Umberto-Umbertide, a path leads to Cresta della Fornace. Nearby there is a small chamber tomb, hidden in the woods.
Orvieto – This town holds important traces of its Etruscan past, such as the Belvedere and the wall at Via della Cava , and it also offers interesting underground excursions. Two museums, the Faina and the National Archeological Museum, hold abundant collections of findings from the area.
The Crocifisso del Tufo necropolis lies at the foot of the hill, with its characteristic chamber tombs laid out in a regular “town” plan. Outside Orvieto, going toward Montecchio, there is the Vallone San Lorenzo necropolis, where improvement works have been done recently. In Porano, in the Castel Rubello area, there is a chamber tomb with painted walls.