Giuseppe Sassatelli's New Book Reveals Bologna's Etruscan Origins

Giuseppe Sassatelli's new book, presented at BookCity Milano 2024 at Fondazione Luigi Rovati, challenges the myth of Bologna as a colonized Etruscan city. Instead, it argues that Felsina (ancient Bologna) emerged from the gradual unification of seven to eight agricultural villages over half a century, forming a consensus-based government. The book features high-quality color images of recent archaeological finds, including inscriptions that disprove the notion that Etruscan writing remains undeciphered. It also explores local legends, such as the founding heroes Tarconte and Ocno, and a curious detail: pig remains missing hind legs, suggesting the Etruscans invented prosciutto and exported it to Greece. Artifacts from the 6th century BCE show Bologna's role in craft production and trade with Greece, blending imported Attic ceramic motifs with indigenous traditions, as seen in stele iconography. The book aims to make Etruscan history accessible to the general public.