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The Necropolis of Barano at Bolsena: Etruscan Tombs North of the Lake
The Necropolis of Barano is situated on the hill of the same name, to the north of Bolsena, in the territory that once surrounded the ancient settlement of Volsinii. It is not a picture-postcard site, rather a dig area, frequented more by archaeologists than by tourists. It remains, however, a place of great interest, as it tells a story spanning from the end of the Bronze Age to the 3rd century BC, helping us to appreciate how people lived in this part of Tuscia before the arrival of the Romans.
From Protohistory to the Etruscans
The earliest traces to have been discovered here are fragments of protohistoric pottery, dated by scholars to between the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age. The necropolis itself dates to the Etruscan period: chamber tombs carved into the tuff, featuring gabled (double-pitched) roofs and black-ware burial items, documented during the 1904 excavations and now preserved in the archives of the Superintendency for Southern Etruria. The burials span a period from the 6th to the 3rd century BC. Archaeologist Pietro Tamburini identified the related settlement as being on the nearby hill of Madonna dell'Augello.
A Site for Study, Not for Visiting
The site is located on private property, and is not open to the public. Those interested in Etruscan archaeology may visit the Territorial Museum of Lake Bolsena, housed in the Rocca Monaldeschi fortress, where materials from various necropolises in the area are displayed, or the archaeological area of Poggio Moscini, which offers free admission.
