Tuscany owes its name to the ancient Etruscan people, also known as Tusci, who lived and flourished here until they were assimilated into the Roman territories during the Roman Republic. But before then, the Etruscans had a powerful, thriving civilization and there is a considerable amount of evidence that early Rome was dominated by them until the Romans sacked Veii in 396 BC.
Etruscan Hilltop Village / Flickr photo by 8blackcrows
This people never ceases to fascinate because of its mysterious history, language and customs. The origins of the Etruscans are lost in prehistory: some believe that they are indigenous, others believe that they came from the Greek area, given the cultural similarities. Their fortune derived from metal mining and trading, especially copper and iron that they exported all over the Mediterranean sea. Knowledge of the Etruscan language is still far from complete; it is however believed to be have been a non-Indoeuropean language.
If you grow up in Tuscany, you hear about this mysterious people all the time. And there are many tangible signs of their presence in this area that they left behind. There are several famous archaeological sites around Civitella Marittima, the village where I grew up and where our Casina di Rosa vacation rental is located.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Stephen Chapman and Gloria CasinadiRosa, Voglio Vivere Cosi. Voglio Vivere Cosi said: RT @casinadirosa The Etruscans once lived here http://bit.ly/cbwQ52 [...]
[...] The Etruscans once lived here [...]