Etruscan civilization explored in comprehensive Bologna exhibition

A major exhibition in Bologna, 'Gli Etruschi,' presents over 1,400 artifacts spanning the entire Etruscan civilization, from the Villanovan period to the Roman conquest. The show is divided into two main sections: a chronological overview of unifying cultural traits (language, religion, funerary customs) and a spatial journey through the 'lands of the Rasna' (the Etruscan self-name), covering Etruria proper, the Po Valley, and Campania. Highlights include the tomb of the Meidias Painter hydriai from Populonia, the Tabula Cortonensis, gold foils from Pyrgi (reproductions), bronze and terracotta portraits, wooden furnishings from Bologna's Via Belle Arti necropolis, and the reconstructed plan of Kainua (Marzabotto). The exhibition also features a section on the Museo Civico Archeologico's recently reopened Etruscan rooms, preserved in their 19th-century arrangement. Curated by a team of scholars, the show emphasizes both cultural unity and local diversity, with special focus on cities and territories. A comprehensive catalog distills over two years of research, including recent discoveries and new perspectives on known contexts.