Sacred Borders: Poggiocolla And The Network Of Etruscan Sanctuaries In The Florentine Countryside

This lecture will take place online.

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At the earliest stages of its development, Etruscan civilization was defined by emerging aristocratic power, which, during the Late Iron Age (8th century BCE), was expressed through warrior elites. Over the following two centuries, settlements expanded around major centers, with power becoming increasingly centralized in urban hubs that evolved into autonomous city-states, exercising control over vast rural areas. Borders played a crucial role in defining political authority, serving as divisions and points of connection not only between different political entities, but also within the single city-states.

Sacred sites functioned as tangible manifestations of these crossings, and their spatial distribution provides valuable insight into territorial organization and the shaping of Etruscan urban landscapes. In this talk we will examine the sanctuary at Poggio Colla and then situate it in the broader network of temples spread across the territory of the ancient city-state of Faesulae, along with other evidence of the presence of internal borders, such as boundary inscriptions. These can help us in understanding the political and cultural aspects underlying landscape of Etruria, providing insight into the role of sanctuaries not only as religious institutions but as fundamental political entities within Etruscan society.

Pierluigi Giroldini earned his BA in Classics and PhD from the University of Florence (Italy). He was awarded a Fellowship from the Istituto Nazionale di Studi Etruschi and currently serves as a Government Archaeologist at the Italian Ministry of Culture, as well as being an adjunct professor at the University of Florence and the University of Cagliari. His publications primarily focus on Etruscans and Etruscan archaeology, particularly the early stages of Etruscan civilization’s development (Late Iron Age, Orientalizing, and Archaic periods), as well as settlement dynamics in northern Etruria and Etruscan architectural terracottas. Through his years of service at the Ministry of Culture, he has also deepened his knowledge of Italian and European legislation concerning preventive archaeology. Pierluigi has directed numerous archaeological excavations and currently leads the excavation of the Etruscan site of La Rotta, near Florence, which has revealed evidence of kiln activities and a late Archaic temple. Additionally, he directs the restoration project of Roman and Iron Age objects from the vast necropolis discovered in Bagno a Ripoli, in the Florence area.

This lecture is given in conjunction with ISAW's exhibition Rethinking Etruria. This exhibition and its accompanying catalogue were made possible by generous support from the Leon Levy Foundation.

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