Tomb of Shields, a masterpiece of Etruscan art, restored in Tarquinia

The Tomb of the Shields, which contains wall paintings that represent one of the greatest masterpieces of Etruscan art, has been reborn thanks to a restoration project launched in 2016 and conducted by Maria Cristina Tomassetti and Chiara Arrighi under the supervision of the Superintendency, which has made it possible to save the still-existing pictorial apparatus of the tomb’s central chamber and to bring to light figures, inscriptions and details never seen before. The tomb was made accessible to the public during the restoration work thanks to some extraordinary guided tours by the FAI Delegation of Viterbo to show visitors the stages of recovery and the techniques used.

The restoration was presented in Tarquinia on the morning of Saturday, September 15, 2018 by Vice Mayor Martina Tosoni and in the presence of Margherita Eichberg, superintendent ofArchaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the metropolitan area of Rome.
“Tarquinia plays an important role in the history of archaeology,” Eichberg said. “Enhancing an all-decorated tomb that opens the door to a world far back in time is something extraordinary. Our next intervention will be to create a gallery that allows people to visit the tomb in its entirety, and appreciate in the interior the painted walls.”

The Tomb of the Shields dates back to the fourth century B.C. and is located in the Etruscan Necropolis of Monterozzi in Tarquinia(VT), a site named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 along with the Necropolis of Cerveteri. In 2014, the tomb, which celebrates the virtues of the Velcha, was voted by 5.681 people during the seventh edition of "I Luoghi del Cuore," the census of Italian places not to forget promoted by FAI - Fondo Ambiente Italiano in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo, making the restoration possible.

Pictured, detail of one of the wall paintings of the Tomb of the Shields in Tarquinia

Tomb of Shields, a masterpiece of Etruscan art, restored in Tarquinia

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