Etruscan tumulus of Montefortini

The Tumulus of Montefortini in Comeana (around 630 BC) is the most important Etruscan find in the area. It was discovered in 1965 by four young people from Prato who, digging on a hill near Comeana cemetery in the municipality of Carmignano, began to extract pieces of terracotta and slabs.

The artificial hill, now 12 meters high, houses two tombs. The oldest, in the centre, is a tholos tomb, where a very rich funeral kit was found, subjected to a complex restoration. Among the most precious objects there is a rare turquoise glass cup, a series of bucchero plates and an extraordinary quantity of sculpted or engraved ivory objects, such as plaquettes, small female and male figures, animals and floral elements. These treasures testify to the power of the Etruscan families in the area.

A few years after the construction of the tholos, following a collapse perhaps caused by an earthquake, the adjacent rectangular chamber tomb was built, with a monumental open-air entrance corridor. At the end of the corridor, a large portal allows access to the cell.

Today the finds are kept in the Archaeological Museum in Artimino, named after Francesco Nicosia, the archaeologist who led the excavation campaign.

Visit the museum to immerse yourself in the fascinating world of the ancient Etruscan civilization and admire the treasures and testimonies of a thousand-year past.

Information

• Address: Via Montefortini, Comeana, Carmignano

• Ticket: free entrance

• Accessibility for disabled: yes

• Web site: www.parcoarcheologicocarmignano.it

• Phone: 055 8719741

• GPX coordinates: 43.7923672,11.0654748