The rock-cut tombs of the necropolis of Norchia (Viterbo - Italy): an important example of ancient architecture that must be preserved (Contributo in atti di convegno)

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  • The rock-cut tombs of the necropolis of Norchia (Viterbo - Italy): an important example of ancient architecture that must be preserved (Contributo in atti di convegno) (literal)
Anno
  • 2009-01-01T00:00:00+01:00 (literal)
Alternative label
  • L. AMBROSINI (2009)
    The rock-cut tombs of the necropolis of Norchia (Viterbo - Italy): an important example of ancient architecture that must be preserved
    in "Science and Technology for the Safeguard of Cultural Heritage of the Mediterranean Basin" Cultural Heritage, Cairo, Egypt, 6-8 Dicembre 2009
    (literal)
Http://www.cnr.it/ontology/cnr/pubblicazioni.owl#autori
  • L. AMBROSINI (literal)
Http://www.cnr.it/ontology/cnr/pubblicazioni.owl#descrizioneSinteticaDelProdotto
  • in A. FERRARI (ed.), Proceedings of the 4th International Congress \"Science and Technology for the Safeguard of Cultural Heritage of the Mediterranean Basin\" Cultural Heritage - Cairo 2009, Cairo, Egypt 6th - 8th December 2009, Vol. II, Napoli 2010 (literal)
Http://www.cnr.it/ontology/cnr/pubblicazioni.owl#affiliazioni
  • ISCIMA-CNR (literal)
Titolo
  • The rock-cut tombs of the necropolis of Norchia (Viterbo - Italy): an important example of ancient architecture that must be preserved (literal)
Abstract
  • The necropolis of Norchia, in the area of Viterbo (80 km. North of Rome), with its rock-cut tombs, is one of the most important archaeological sites of southern Etruria. This is an important and rare example of rock architecture (Fig. 1), one of the few preserved in Italy, and is comparable with the rock-cut tombs of Kaunos and Demre in Turkey, in the regions called Caria and Lycia in ancient times. The town of Norchia lies on the Via Clodia approximately midway between Blera and Tuscania, at the intersection with an ancient Etruscan road that led from Tarquinia to Orvieto. The Etruscan settlement was probably on the central part of a plateau. The most flourishing period of the city was from the late fourth to mid-second century B.C., a period in which the city certainly belonged to the Tarquinia State. An imposing and impressive number of rock-cut tombs, dating back to the fourth century B.C., are to be found throughout the three valleys of Pile, Acqualta and Biedano, which surround the city. Along the \"Fosso dell'Acqualta\" the rock-cut temple tombs have facades that imitate those of a Doric temple with pediments, friezes, protomi and acroteria carved into the tufa. Thanks to the drawings by Canina in 1842 (Fig. 2) and by Ainsley in 1849, not only the original design but also the state of conservation of the monuments in the 19th century is known. This is of the utmost importance seeing the poor state of conservation of the monuments nowadays. The tombs are spread out over several terraces reached by winding paths that rise up from the valley. Tombs of different architectural types are present in the necropolis, built on three distinct terraces, one below the other. The uppermost terrace houses the monumental tombs; the middle terrace the dado tombs, the bottom terrace, the most modest tombs (Fig. 3). Reconstruction drawings have been made of the site in order to give an idea of the ancient landscape and of life in this area especially with regards to the preparation of the corpse for burial and funeral rites. The project, currently being carried out by the Institute for Studies on the Italic and Ancient Mediterranean Civilization (ISCIMA), in collaboration with the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage for Southern Etruria and the Italian Geographic Society under the patronage of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the National Research Council of Italy, initially involved a thorough study of the tombs, excavated in the period 1971-1974, along the \"Fosso del Pile\" (south east of the city), in the central area, known as Pile B, and all the archaeological remains found there, but was later enlarged to include the archaeological, historical and territorial stratification of the entire province of Viterbo. The documentation, produced by ISCIMA and which will be published in the book Norchia II, is of the utmost importance in the reconstruction of this ancient landscape. Thanks to photographs taken at the time of excavation, can the landscape, which has greatly deteriorated over time, be reconstructed. It is well known that the need to promote geo-environmental studies to conserve and to safeguard archaeological heritage is increasingly more urgent nowadays in Italy if the country's valuable cultural and environmental heritage is to be protected. The collaboration of Dr. Piero Ciccioli, geologist of the Faculty of Geological Sciences of the University of Perugia, was fundamental in establishing the geo-environmental state of the necropolis of Norchia, and in drawing up a plan of intervention to protect the site. The aim of the research conducted by ISCIMA is to propose innovative methods and tools necessary for the conservation, maintenance and exploitation of the site. It is hoped that as a result of these studies and with the synergy of several experts the reconstruction of the necropolis of the ancient landscape of Norchia (an attempt of a two dimensional drawing of which is attached) (Fig. 4) can be achieved. (literal)
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