Ancient residents of Italy with no clear place of origin, the Etruscans have permanently inhabited the Tuscan heritage history.

They inhabited the Tuscia or Etruria, the modern-day Tuscany. Even though they call themselves ‘Rasenna,’ they were commonly named Etruscans because the Latins referred to them as Tusci or Etrusci.

Altough we don’t know that much about the history behind the Etruscans, there are two claims concerning the Etruscan origin: that they are natives and not. 

The Theories:

The first theory was proposed by Dionysus of Halicarnassus, a Greek historian, saying that Etruscans is one of the early civilizations that sprouted in the Villanovan region. He observed the Bronze Age cultures of the Etruscans similar to those of other Ancient Italic civilizations in the area. 

On the other hand, Herodotus said that Etruscans were ancient Mesopotamia people who fled their region because of recurring famine. Accordingly, they landed on the southern coasts of Italy and started inhabiting there. 

Either way, both have loopholes, and none is considered to be the actual truth. Let’s focus on what we are sure about them instead.

The Facts:

Unlike other ancient civilizations, the Etruscans are not a fan of unitary living. They lived in separate cities and never formed a nation-state. There were even accounts of them fighting each other. Historians dubbed them as ‘The League of the Twelve Peoples.’ Nonetheless, they remained united in the division. They were believed to meet on a single location every year for religious and political purposes. They meet at the shrine of Voltumna or the Fanum Voltumnae. The exact location of this shrine and their respective cities remained unknown at present. 

They achieved their glory as each of their city chieftains conquered every city in Northern Italy – not to mention that the Etruscans founded some cities such as Rome itself

.

Flight of Icarus:

They were the silent giant of Ancient Italy. Their magnificence was seen in their ability to expand their territory. They resided from behind the Arno River up across the Po valley.

The famous story of The Flight of Icarus has origins in Tuscany as it was seen in an Etruscan jar. However, as quickly as their rise, the Etruscans fall from their flight, allegorical to Icarus’ ascend to the skies.

Due to their lack of unified government, they were easily conquered by the almighty Romans. The Romans defeated the Etruscans in several series of battles, leaving their history crushed in the ground. Soon after, all the Etruscans were converted to Roman citizens erasing the identity of Etruscans forever. We only have bits and pieces of the Etruscan heritage, without a solid understanding of their lives.

Etruscans were considered to be the most progressive of all ancient civilizations. They are the first to treat women as equal citizens. We have so much to discover from the Etruscans. But without reliable protection from ravagers, everything can be erased forever. Preserving the Etruscans’ heritage by appreciating Tuscany’s beauty is the least we can do never to let their legacy be ever forgotten. Let the story of the Etruscans live on and on in Tuscany’s hills and Chianti Classico’s wine.