The
Inghirami Tomb is perhaps the most famous tomb of the Hellenistic Volterra. It was discovered by the brothers James and Louis Inghirami in land belonging to them in 1861.
Interesting in this regard, a statement that makes the discovery Don Filippo Gori, the following year (1862):
"The two brothers Messrs. Iacopo Inghirami and Lodovico, making the resort in May of that mess that gets its name from ' pleasant garden that you see (Garden Villa), and the next monastery (St. Jerome), are things like fans homelands, dieronsi groped in excavations in that land to dwell their house [...] discovered the huge underground course of the year , now made easily accessible, can give the student more just the idea of \u200b\u200bthe true and complement form of those funeral homes ".
From what we read is easy to imagine that the area of \u200b\u200bSt. Jerome had to look very different from that today and that archaeological research could be done without the impediment of hospitals and roads. Interesting also the fact that, after the discovery, she immediately thought of the grave to make accessible to scholars of antiquity. The tomb contained
fact many urns inside: there are discrepancies about the exact number. The first term is 42 or 44, before moving to 53, which suggests tampering and modest additions to the original nucleus, perhaps by drawing on materials from tombs nearby.
The tomb, like most of the tombs filler is a room underground. It is accessed via a steep dromos with steps cut into the rock, the local bench. " The entrance, originally closed by a slab of stone, provides access to a large circular room with a central pillar of deposition and a single platform that runs on the sides. Here, according to the news, the urns were placed, arranged on a double row have had the impression that the two brothers at the time of discovery is not easy to imagine, but such a crush of coffins with the dead engraved on the lids recumbent, was certainly make a strong suggestion. The impression of overcrowding was to be even greater if one considers that, in addition to the urns in the funeral chamber, trovavaposto kit consists of a large pottery and iron and bronze artifacts of various kinds (tableware and kitchen symposium, tools to the toilet everyday objects for representing the wealth achieved in life and to accompany the deceased in the afterlife). Unfortunately it no longer exists and no trace is not mentioned in earlier reports: Was it sold or dispersed while the polls were inside the tomb for many years, which certainly did not help to preserve them. In fact, they "had to suffer during the period they remained in Volterra, serious damage by visitors who broke away and rose to the memory of their visit, some heads from the findings," he writes Milani, director of the Archaeological Museum of Florence, in one of the letters accompanying the act by which the whole state was assured in 1899 for the sum of 8000 lire. The idea was to preserve intact the core and the context of recovery, given its integrity and the opportunity to study the succession of generations that are relevant to the family. Was so Inghirami that the tomb was carefully designed and rebuilt in the garden of the Archaeological Museum in Florence and were placed inside the ballot boxes, all previously listed and described in detail. The 1966 flood covered the election of mud, but a thorough cleaning restored to their former glory.
The tomb, it is also reported in the few inscriptions that accompany the coffins, he had to belong to the family Ati: Unlike Ceicna \\ Caecina that already used for the Latin inscriptions on their monuments, this family was probably one of those who defended Etruscan them to the end (there is no Latin inscription on the boxes, although the latest evidence of the tomb is Datin already Inghirami in Roman times). The study covers the type of ballot boxes and also allows us to date the time frame within which this family tomb was in use: the oldest lid can be dated to the full third century BC C., but it seems doubtful relevance to his grave. Certainly relevant but are the polls dating to the second century. a. C., during which they were largely active in Volterra sculptors who produced urns and covers large-scale and different levels of quality. In large numbers are also examples of the first century C, whereas the term post quem which marks the end use of the tomb to be found in the ballot box with gabled lids, attributable to the Augustan Age. In summary therefore, the tomb was in use certainly the beginning of the second century BC to the early first century AD Since a generation is usually estimated at 30-40 years, so laid in the tomb are at least 5 or 6 generations of the Etruscans.
Except for the ballot box to smooth (the later), all boxes are decorated in relief. Most of the subjects and reconnect it to the Greek myths as "the death of Myrtilus", "Death of Oenomaus", "Eteocles and Polynices, but there are also scenes with the usual subjects proper funeral, with various forms of" journey to the underworld "and" funeral leave ".
The restoration
goes on to describe the action of cleaning of the tomb, we must first thank you for your confidence in the superintendent Dr. Anna Esposito, who has always supported and encouraged the work of the group of volunteers and enthusiasts, already linked to the cause of archeology through the nascent Velathri Archaeological Group. A big thank to all those who wanted to support this cause and have fallen into darkness lit by modern halogen lamps to bring to life a monument so important, reviving some way with their actions that thread that connects us to our past.
The intervention consisted in the removal of the first layer of burying accumulated over time in the grave until the start of the original light carved into the rock surface. Do not there have been few surprises in the soil were removed in fact found during excavation or during the subsequent screening of the earth through a sieve, several archaeological fragments: most of them consist of fragments of black glazed pottery, some attributable to the local factory Malacena, perhaps part of the original or the tomb, probably, as we also said the Consortini, part of the tomb were found during work on the construction of the asylum (
".. in that underground there have been transported recently carved urns and simple and a great number of broken clay pots collected from other tombs discovered during work on the frenocomio .. " ). Absolutely worthy of note are some fragments of case and cover urns: albeit fragmentary they may be returned, after not a simple comparison, originating at the polls.
Once the cleaning (which eventually became almost an archeology dig), it was decided to replace the dilapidated wooden gate with a wrought iron, worthy of entrance to the tomb, the stairway was equipped with handrails and some of the steps have been restored. The closing slab was attached to the wall by a safety pin. All this thanks to the diligent work of City workers and firms are activated by the contact of Renzo Provvedi, and tireless factotum worker. It 'been like that, after years of neglect, the tomb has returned to shine its charm and its beauty. Volterra retrieves another monument to its illustrious past, too often regarded as a burden and not as a resource. Every now and then, instead of cement covered and silenced forever, the Etruscan remains back to talk.
( Simone Stanislaus © 2010 - SOS VOLTERRA )
