. Tour to the sepulchres of Etruria, in 1839. one architectural remnant above ground, alow round tower, which in shape and circumferencereminded us of the tomb of Cecilia Metella on theVia Appia, but which had probably never risenmuch above its present height, but had been sur-mounted by a conical mound of earth, accordingto the common Etruscan fashion. We entered bya door below the present level of the ground, andfound ourselves in a vault which had been thereceptacle of the dead. We visited some otherless perfect specimens of the same style, and it isprobable that this was the prevailing for
. Tour to the sepulchres of Etruria, in 1839. one architectural remnant above ground, alow round tower, which in shape and circumferencereminded us of the tomb of Cecilia Metella on theVia Appia, but which had probably never risenmuch above its present height, but had been sur-mounted by a conical mound of earth, accordingto the common Etruscan fashion. We entered bya door below the present level of the ground, andfound ourselves in a vault which had been thereceptacle of the dead. We visited some otherless perfect specimens of the same style, and it isprobable that this was the prevailing form ofEtruscan monuments in general, but that theyvaried in size according to whether they were in-tended to receive a single body, a private family,thehead of a great race with its numerous branches, ora mighty ruler of the land, with his ministers andfollowers, such as the immense and once splendidtomb at Caere, of which the Regulini Gallassi cellsformed a part. The one which we are now con-sidering must have been of very moderate size, and. TARQUINIA. 165 contained few if more than one body ; but it is in-teresting from its superior state of saw the substructions of others, with severalentrances which had been the doors of distincttombs. An Etruscan necropolis must have had astriking effect, crowded with such monumentalmounds, crowned with lions or sphynxes, and basedupon foundations of solid masonry, with doors allround, and having cope-stones adorned with lions,sphynxes, and griffins. In the major part of these monuments, by whichthe cemeteries of the Etruscan cities were filled, it isprobable that the mounds were artificial, and raisedafter the surrounding wall had been built. Butin the case of large tumuli, such as that which con-tained the Lucumo at Agylla, who must have beengreat as Mezentius himself, or that nameless one atwhat is now called Monterone, at the door of whichthe Duchess of Sermoneta was in vain attemptingto knock, not having even found it w
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, bookidtourtose, booksubjecttombs
