Starting from the plateau of the Civita, site of the Etruscan city of Tarkna and the temple of the Ara della Regina, where, in 1938, the fictile sculpture of the winged horses, which is still the symbol of the city today, was unearthed, Tarquinia and its three thousand years of history are revealed.

Opposite is the city of the dead, the UNESCO site of the Monterozzi Necropolis, with its frescoed tombs, an eternal reminder of the vitality of the Etruscan people and their imagery.

Here sumptuous grave goods and valuable ceramic collections on display in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, located in the 15th-century Palazzo Vitelleschi, were discovered. The Palazzo was owned by the cardinal-conductor Giovanni, whose exploits are echoed in the Inner Gate of Castello, near the Romanesque basilica of Santa Maria, and in the frescoes of the Palazzo Comunale.

The route takes in suggestive panoramic viewpoints, where majolica tiles made by local students narrate the salient views, and continues along Via delle Torri, an important artery of the ancient town, onto which the Palazzo dei Priori opens. Palazzo dei Priori is the home of the Museo della Ceramica d’Uso a Corneto. Corneto was the town’s medieval name. The Church of San Giovanni Gerosolimitano, whose rose window is embellished with majolica tiles, and the Church of San Francesco are worth a stop, from which it is possible to follow the itinerary of “Il Cocciales”, an interesting example of collective ceramic art present in four locations in the historic centre.

The numerous ceramic workshops in the Tarquinia area manifest a tradition deeply rooted in the ancient but always in search of new expressive languages.

The imprint left by the Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta was fundamental. Matta found his personal ‘retreat’ here, in the former Passionist monastery of La Bandita.

“Etruscan master craftsmen”, is the title of a beautiful event organised a few years ago by the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Tarquinia. The styles, shapes and decorations of Etruscan ceramic art are still a source of inspiration for the craftsmen of this city. Many workshops are dedicated to the production of imitation ceramics: the workmanship is complex and requires study, excellent knowledge of techniques, great manual skill and a lot of passion.

But the Etruscans and the generosity of the territory, so rich in raw materials that can be used in the creation of artefacts, also stimulate research and experimentation of new proposals in the field of ceramics. And it is the dialogue between such an ancient tradition and contemporaneity that amazes and fascinates those who enter the workshops and art studios. In each of these places, a wide repertoire of obviously unique ceramic pieces is on display.

A

Marco Bocchio

B

Massimo Bordo

C

Giovanni Calandrini

D

Fabio Castelli

E

Francesco Giannoni

F

Massimo Luccioli

G

Nicky Peetermans

H

Graziella Senigagliesi

I

Roberto and Stefano Todini Todini Sculture

J

Michele Totino

K

Patrizio Zanazzo