Alessandro Sebastiani

Currently, the excavations at the late Etruscan and Hellenistic necropolis of Casenovole have resumed. This excavation holds significant personal importance to me, both due to my profound friendship with Andrea Marcocci and the remarkable findings that have emerged from their investigations since 2007.

Introducing students to this forested site and the marvels of these tombs serves almost as an initiation into the enigmatic world of Etruscan rites and the afterlife. The dromos, or access passages, become metaphorical corridors bridging the tangible and the imaginary realms, replete with beliefs and rituals, navigating between light and darkness, serenity and the unknown.

Above the Tomb of the Scarab, the observer’s eye may be deceived by a fascinating interplay of roots and malleable stones, which appear sculpted. One can discern what seems to be a face etched above the entrance, historically desecrated, with distinguishable eyes and a mouth fixed in a malevolent grin. These visual impressions evoke images of demons guarding the treasures and sanctity of the deceased, highlighting nature’s capacity to astonish through the convergence of places, ritualistic practices, and folkloric beliefs.