The Etruscans left an indelible mark on Tuscany that is still felt today through museums rich in artefacts and various monuments and buildings left scattered all throughout the landscape of the region. One such monument is the Tomba Ildebranda, or Tomb of Ildebrando, which is located in the Necropolis of Sovana in what is now called the Città del Tufo Archaeological Park. Dating back to the third to the second century BC, it is considered the most important monument of the Etruscan necropolis of Sovana and of the entire Etruria and is a must for all budding or hobby archaeologists who have found a vacation rental in Sovana or a holiday rental in the wider Grosseto Maremma province.
Discovered in 1924 by one of the famous Rosi brothers, the tomb carries the name of Sovana's most famous citizen of all time, Pope Gregory VII (whose name was Ildebrando before becoming pope), but actually has no other connection to Christianity. In fact, it is steeped in mystery and we do not even know who commissioned such a major monument and who was intended to be interred in this incredible tomb.
Discovered in 1924 by one of the famous Rosi brothers, the tomb carries the name of Sovana's most famous citizen of all time, Pope Gregory VII (whose name was Ildebrando before becoming pope), but actually has no other connection to Christianity. In fact, it is steeped in mystery and we do not even know who commissioned such a major monument and who was intended to be interred in this incredible tomb.
Despite this, we do know some things about the tomb thanks to the meticulous study and research of Ranuccio Bianchi-Bandinelli, among others. We know that it is split into two distinct parts: the burial chamber and the funerary monument. We also know that while much has been lost over time, archaeologists have been able to pretty accurately reconstruct its former appearance and its lost architectural elements that were destroyed over time due to the crumbly nature of the soil into which the tomb was dug. This reconstruction was pieced together by using decorative fragments found during the excavation of the site and through comparison with the contemporaneous temple found at Talamone. It shows that the tomb was built in the style of a Greek temple and the recovered architectural elements clearly display the socio-cultural connections that existed between the Etruscans and the Greeks.
The monument was likely raised on a high podium with two side stairways on top of which there were 12 Tuscan-based columns surmounted by capitals and carrying a frieze, which delimited a "Pronaos" with a coffered ceiling. The decorated frieze featured motifs of griffins, human figures, flora, and more and the whole monument would have been covered in the polychromatic stucco that was standard in Etruscan art and architecture – another example of the colourful nature of ancient monuments that seems foreign and incorrect to modern viewers who have only ever known the bare and minimalist ancient monuments that remain today, long after the vivid embellishments have been lost or stripped away.
Meanwhile, the burial chamber is underground and has no decoration or original fragments to give us more clues about its former glory as it was desecrated in ancient times. What we can say, however, is that access is through a central “dromos”, which descends ten metres, through a fourth century BC tomb that is built on a Greek cross plan and has a coffered ceiling. The main burial chamber is also on a Greek cross plan with the classic central beam that symbolically supports the roof and a raised counter along the wall to store a wooden sarcophagus. Around the whole tomb, you can also see many other, later satellite tombs that were probably built for those who were close to the person for whom the main tomb was built.
Located in a dominant position, not far from the Etruscan ‘Cavone’ road, the Tomba Ildebranda is both an important work of architecture and a sacred site that was most likely a point of reference for travellers passing through the area of Sovana. Fascinating and steeped in history, the tomb and the whole Città del Tufo Archaeological Park is a great place to visit to enact all of your Indiana Jones fantasies if you have found a vacation rental in Sovana and are looking to find interesting things to see and do in this lovely part of Tuscany.
The monument was likely raised on a high podium with two side stairways on top of which there were 12 Tuscan-based columns surmounted by capitals and carrying a frieze, which delimited a "Pronaos" with a coffered ceiling. The decorated frieze featured motifs of griffins, human figures, flora, and more and the whole monument would have been covered in the polychromatic stucco that was standard in Etruscan art and architecture – another example of the colourful nature of ancient monuments that seems foreign and incorrect to modern viewers who have only ever known the bare and minimalist ancient monuments that remain today, long after the vivid embellishments have been lost or stripped away.
Meanwhile, the burial chamber is underground and has no decoration or original fragments to give us more clues about its former glory as it was desecrated in ancient times. What we can say, however, is that access is through a central “dromos”, which descends ten metres, through a fourth century BC tomb that is built on a Greek cross plan and has a coffered ceiling. The main burial chamber is also on a Greek cross plan with the classic central beam that symbolically supports the roof and a raised counter along the wall to store a wooden sarcophagus. Around the whole tomb, you can also see many other, later satellite tombs that were probably built for those who were close to the person for whom the main tomb was built.
Located in a dominant position, not far from the Etruscan ‘Cavone’ road, the Tomba Ildebranda is both an important work of architecture and a sacred site that was most likely a point of reference for travellers passing through the area of Sovana. Fascinating and steeped in history, the tomb and the whole Città del Tufo Archaeological Park is a great place to visit to enact all of your Indiana Jones fantasies if you have found a vacation rental in Sovana and are looking to find interesting things to see and do in this lovely part of Tuscany.
Photo credit: Sidvics / CC BY-SA 3.0
