Submitted by Carol Faenzi
One could say “A Journey Through Time” to describe any excursion to Italy, but this one that I took recently was not only historically fascinating, but also very personal.
Both of my grandparents were born in Tuscany, at opposite ends of the region. My grandmother was from the marble quarries of Carrara in the northernmost area of Tuscany.
My grandfather, Ottavio Faenzi, was born in Southern Tuscany, in the Maremma, near Pitigliano.
While the city of Pitigliano is not on the sea, the site was inhabited thousands of years ago by water worshippers, and then the Etruscans, an exceptional civilization which was wiped out by the Romans, but whose remnants still exist.
On its west side, the Maremma hugs the coast along the Tyrrhenian Sea, also known as the Argentario, where Romans once mined silver. But it’s also named for the silvery color the sea takes on at certain times. This area is dotted with stunning fishing villages such as Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole (Hercules), where the artist Caravaggio met his untimely end.
Heading inland, one also encounters the Etruscans.
Did you know:
The name “Tuscany” originates from the name, “Etruschi”?
The Etruscans planted the first vineyards in Tuscany? The Etruscans were vast traders and are credited with taking the first grapevines to France.
The Etruscans invented modern dentistry, which after their demise, the knowledge did not re-emerge until the 1870s? Gold bridgework was found in the skeletal remains of the female members of this venerable society.
The first three kings (after Romulus, the Founder of Rome) of the Empire were Etruscans and ruled from 616 BC – 509 BC?
The Etruscans venerated women? Remarkably, they were a matriarchal society. They were educated, greatly involved in public affairs, taught the art of divination, and their children bore their names, not their father’s.
The Romans greatly admired the Etruscans and many of the things we associate with the Romans were Etruscan inventions, including the toga and the sandal.
The land in this area is made of tufa, a volcanic substance, and the tombs the Etruscans built for their afterlife, (which was considered just a continuation of the great life they were already enjoying), were not sculpted, but were carved into the rock.
For hundreds of years, this wise and pleasure-seeking society, as well as these tombs, were forgotten and not rediscovered until the 19th century. As a result, the notoriety attracted tomb raiders and much of the treasures are scattered throughout notable museums or are in private collections.
Because this necropolis was very near the farm where my grandfather and his 10 siblings lived, it was their playground.
Today, it is protected and a mecca for those interested in its ancient roots.
Also, in the area one finds the Vie Cave, a series of carved roads that were built, some believe, even before the Etruscans. They are believed to be ceremonial paths and have been used for protection, as well as for children traveling to school. Symbols in the rock reflect the presence of many people finding refuge there, including Christians and Jews.
These sunken road pathways contain a microclimate and there are species of plants that grow nowhere else in Italy.
While my grandfather emigrated to America in the early 20th century to escape poverty, he returned 50 years later, in the 1960s, to visit the family members he had left behind. My grandmother left me her journals chronicling this emotional reunion.
This led me to make my own discoveries. It has become an almost annual pilgrimage for me to visit my family who still inhabit the old farm, as well as walk on those roads that feel like caverns, listening to the ancient voices that linger here.
For more information on the Etruscans:
For more information on visiting the Maremma:
https://www.visittuscany.com/en/ideas/top-10-must-sees-in-the-maremma
