Etruria (/ɪˈtrʊəriə/ih-TROOR-ee-ə) was a region ofCentral Italy delimited by the riversArno andTiber,[1] an area that covered what is now most ofTuscany, northernLazio, and north-westernUmbria. It was inhabited by theEtruscans, an ancient civilization that flourished in the area from around the 8th century BC until they were assimilated into theRoman Republic in the 4th century BC.[2]
The ancient people of Etruria[3]are identified asEtruscans. Their complexculture[4] centered on numerous city-states that arose during theVillanovan period in the ninth century BC, and they were very powerful during theOrientalizingArchaic periods.
The Etruscans were a dominant culture in Italy by 650 BC,[5] surpassing other ancient Italic peoples such as theLigures. Their influence may be seen beyond Etruria's confines in thePo River Valley andLatium, as well as inCampania and through their contact with theGreek colonies inSouthern Italy (including Sicily). Indeed, at some Etruscan tombs, such as those of theTumulus di Montefortini at Comeana (seeCarmignano) inTuscany, physical evidence of trade withEgypt has been found by archaeologists—fineEgyptian faience cups are an example. Such trade occurred either directly with Egypt or through intermediaries such as Greek or Phoenician sailors.
Rome was influenced strongly by the Etruscans even though it was separated from the early boundary of Etruria by theSilva Ciminia, the Ciminian Forest. A series of Etruscan kings ruledRome until 509 BC when the last Etruscan king,Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, was removed from power and theRoman Republic was established.[6] The Etruscans are credited with influencing Roman architecture and ritual practice; it was under the Etruscan kings that important structures such as theCapitolium,Cloaca Maxima, andVia Sacra were realized.
TheEtruscan civilization had a great influence on the culture of early Republican Rome, some of what later became the most symbolic traditions of the city. It also included the introduction of new foods, theLatin alphabet, thearchitecture, andengineering elements.[7]
Etruria usually is divided into two main territories, called Northern Etruria and Southern Etruria, to which must be added the northernmost territories are called Etruria Padana, and the southernmost territories are called Etruria Campana.
Latin and Italian names are given between parentheses:
There was a period between 600 BC and 500 BC, during which twelve Etruscan city-states formed a loose confederation known as theEtruscan League. Etruscan was the official language for their meetings. When Etruria was conquered by theRoman Republic,Latin became the official language.
In theAugustan organization ofRoman Italy,Etruria was the name of a region (Regio VII). Its borders were theTiber, theTyrrhenian Sea, theApuan Alps, and theApennines. This is roughly coincident with those of Etruria before the Roman period that began in 509 BC.[8]
TheGrand Duchy of Tuscany (which existed 1569–1801 and 1814–1859) styled itself inLatin asMagnus Ducatus Etruriae (Grand Duchy of Etruria). The name Etruria also was applied to theKingdom of Etruria, an ephemeralclient state ofNapoleon I of France that replaced the Grand Duchy between 1801 and 1807.
A particularly noteworthy work dealing with Etruscan locations isD. H. Lawrence'sSketches of Etruscan Places and Other Italian Essays.
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