Latest Discoveries: Etruscan tombs and Renaissance Frescoes



The area of Northern Lazio  continues to  surprise with the  recovery  of  treasures lost for  hundreds  and even  thousands  of years. Thanks to the determination, generosity  and professionalism  of local art historians, archeologists and  private groups who  give financial  and technical support,  many ancient sites and lost works of art have been  recently recuperated adding to  Italy's wealth of  art. 



entrance  dromos  Etruscan tomb Norchia

excavating  Norchia

   This week   Norchia (Vetralla)  and Soriano nel Cimino  are in  the spotlight. 

At the ancient Etruscan  necropolis of Norchia, in Vetralla,  an  equipe  of archeologists    and volunteers with financial support from Trust Sostratos   of  Lorenzo  Benini  completed a second  campaign of  excavations  bringing  to light  about   11 pieces  of funerary art including  painted vases and bucchero ware  datable from  the 4^th to the 3^rd centuries BC. 



one of the vases found in Norchia

That these treasures have escaped the pick axes  of tomb robbers  for two thousand years  is incredible in itself. The  area on which the necropolis of Norchia  sits  is privately owned (a certain Signor Stelliferi) and  will probably   become a future archeological park similar  to the nearby  privately owned Sacro Bosco of Bomarzo.    

These ceramic treasures are now being  cleaned and   restored  before   being  presented   to the public  on September  13^th in the Sala Regia of Viterbo’s  Palazzo dei Priori.

Simona Sterpa  at the Soriano presentation

Simona Sterpa  is one of the  archeologists   coordinating   the  group  of  volunteers, including Luciano Proietti, Rudolfo Neri  and Mario Sanna of  Archeotuscia   who were on site  digging  by  6 a.m.  before the August sun and heat  made work impossible.

Francesca Ceci and Emanuele Ioppolo

 In Soriano nel Cimino’s historic  center   another equipe of local  art historians and  restorers  have brought back  to light part of a 16^th century fresco  which had  been hidden under layers  of  white paint  in the tiny  Misericordia  church  located  in  the shadow of the imposing  Orsini Castle. A word of warning for Soriano: arrival and parking  are   difficult  due to  numerous narrow one-way streets  and hidden parking lots.   

 explaining  the newly found fresco

unveiling the fresco

crammed in to the tiny chapel

fresco fragment  of Last Judgement



sitting on the  altar

The presentation  took place yesterday in  a nearby church, then  the crowd moved over to the tiny Misericordia  chapel to watch the unveiling of the  long lost fresco.

spindle fountain where tyrant DiVico was decapitated

16th century organ still needs repair



view from Soriano over the Tiber valley



peeking inside  the Misericordia chapel



The fresco is  a represtation of the Last Judgement
 

 Noisy fireworks   announced the unveiling  and causing a  bit of panic (one woman  threw herself on the ground) but the rest of late afternoon  went on seamlessly with a delicious   buffet offered  to  guests  in a series of ancient  rooms with   low  beams  reminiscent of  a Venetian sottoportego. 

rich buffet

low ceiling with  ancient beams

 

 

For more information  about  Northern Lazio and its pleasures and happenings check out my award winning website.
 Copies  of my books about the area are available  in most museums and bookshops in the area. I mail out signed copies worldwide  every week.
Check the books page on the website  for  reviews .

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Coming up:
In September - series of Enrichment lectures for  passengers  sailing on Silverseas luxury cruise  from Venice to Dubronik and return
Visits in  USA- Buffalo, NY  and Boston areas

In October-  "I nostri castelli-veri gioelli"  illustrated presentation about the castles of N. Lazio  for Archeotuscia in Viterbo's Prefecture.
Date to be announced.   Copies  of my books will be available  at all these  happenings.




Scary Statues and Mysterious Figures

pathway from Vitorchiano

Tuscia (or Etruria) located one hour north of Rome and a half hour from Civitavecchia port makes a perfect escape from the  tourist crowds. We residents enjoy a laid back lifestyle, excellent food and wine as well as peace, calm and the many off beat places such as the well known Sacro Bosco or Monster Park of Bomarzo.

Nearby are several other sites with strange stone sculptures, fountains and  the remains of elegant gardens-often hidden away in the underbrush or valleys. 

Photos by F. Micheletti 

stone heads Vitorchiano 

rock hewn cave in the Vitorchiano valley

Just beneath the town of Vitorchiano a steep trail zig-zags down into a verdant valley.

Trekking with CAI excursion to see the sculptures near Vitorchiano                 Thanks to F. Micheletti for photos 

 Here trekkers literally trip over the  mysterious monumental sculptures created in 1990 by a team of stone carvers who were invited to Vitorchiano from Easter Island, far away in the Pacific Ocean. 

Easter Island  head in Vitorchiano

Other weird and wonderful stone figures date back to the Renaissance and 16th century and were created by native sculptors (or captive Turkish ones??)  to awe visitors of local nobility, such as these in a wild setting just outside the town of Viterbo. 

moss covered fountain with   human heads spouts 

female figure, near Viterbo

Papacqua fountain figure, Soriano

In plain sight in the town of Soriano nel Cimino is the Papacqua fountain next to Palazzo Chigi-Albani and its many intriguing  stone figures which art critics have been trying to interpret for centuries.

Papacqua fountain in Soriano nel Cimino 

These scary statues are just a few of the many fascinating, little known aspects of the Tuscia area  that await visitors, especially  artists, anthropologists and those who enjoy the unusual. 

For more about these and other  mysterious sites of central Italy, between Tuscany and Umbria, check out my website, use the search bar of the blog and read my latest two books on the area.

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Secrets of Soriano

The first thing one notices about Soriano nel Cimino is the Orsini Castle, built for  Pope Nicholas III  Orsini around 1287 as a summer getaway from the heat of Rome. 

Over the centuries it has been the  private domain  of cardinals and papal authorities and,  until 1989,  a maximum security prison.  For this reason it has not been fully studied and reserves surprises for future art historians.

Many plaques  adorn the fortress  walls reminding of happenings in its long history:  Santa Rosa of Viterbo was exiled here 750 years ago, the  English Stuarts were  guests of Cardinal Albani in 1717 and the Allies bombed the town in 1944.  

Palazzo Madruzzo Chigi-Albani in its present sorry state

Another stunning complex, now in ruins, is Palazzo Chigi-Albani,  Cardinal Cristoforo Madruzzo’s  pleasure villa  between 1562 and 1578. 

 Here visitors lucky enough to find the gates  open can  admire the gigantic sculpted figures of the Papacqua  fountain: a reclining goat-hoofed woman with three babies clinging to her breast. Other figures include  a devil, Pan, gargolyles, animals, Moses and the four seasons.

There are obvious similarities with the nearby Sacro Bosco (Monster Park)  of Bomarzo  for  Cardinal Madruzzo was an  intimate of Vicino Orsini and their continual correspondence shows they exchanged ideas and artists during the construction of their respective  country places.

The  altar sculpted in walnut 

Soriano  is a town for people with strong  legs, complicated  to park and best during the October  Chestnut Festival when its  four quartieri compete in colorful parades and flag-throwing contests. 

 Another secret of Soriano can be found just down the hillside  bordering the town cemetery - the  delightful little  church of Madonna del Poggio.

behind the curtain, a sacristy full of  surprises

young guides 

vestments for different seasons 

wax Madonna

wax  head of S. Eutizio

Madonna del Poggio, Soriano nel Cimino

Adjacent to its  pink peperino facade  is the entrance to the cloister  and the sadly abandoned  Franciscan convent .

The cloister with its frescoed walls telling  the story of San Francesco. 

chestnut trees and giant stones near S.Eutizio

About  6 kms. from the center of Soriano, another surprise: the Passionist  sanctuary dedicated to early Christian  martyr  Sant’Eutizio   in the hamlet  of the same name. 

tower of S.Eutizio  monastery 

local girls guided us through the catacombs

  Beneath the church  is a small catacombs  used in early Christian days.  Frescoes adorn the walls and water filters  down to fill an empty tomb.

 Most of the sarcophagi  were removed decades ago but a few bone-filled burials remain, adding a spooky  atmosphere to the underground site. 

  
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