DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.785#0590
482 SOVANA. [chap. xxvi.
been forgotten by the world, till in the middle of the last
century a Neapolitan painter discovered them afresh,
rescuing them from an oblivion of fifteen hundred years.1
So in Etruria, the interesting cemeteries of Norchia and
Castel d'Asso were brought to light not forty years ago
by some sportsmen of Viterbo. I am now about to
describe some other remarkable relics of Etruscan anti-
quity, which owe their rediscovery to the intelligent
enterprise of an Englishman.
In the spring of 1843, Mr. Ainsley, my former fellow-
traveller in Etruria, was making a third tour through this
interesting land, and, not content with beaten tracks, he
penetrated to Pitigliano, and thence made an excursion to
Sovana, in quest of antiquities. Being aware that that
place was known only as the site of the Roman Suana, he
had no reason to expect relics of Etruscan times; yet,
having established such an antiquity for Pitigliano, he
shrewdly suspected the same for the neighbouring site.
Here he inquired for antiquities. Antiquities !—" che
roba $?" Nobody had ever heard of such "stuff" at
Sovana. Prom the provost to the hind, all were alike
ignorant. But his curiosity was excited by some colum-
baria and rock-hewn tombs of familiar character, and he
proceeded to explore the surrounding ravines.
His suspicions were soon confirmed. Here were tombs
with rock-hewn facades as at Norchia and Castel dAsso,—
and, following the range of cliffs, he came to a monument
in the form of a temple, in a style both unique and beau-
tiful. His surprise and delight at this discovery explained
11 give the current story, which I date assigned to the painter's discovery,
believe, however, to have been disproved which was 1755. See Delagardette,
as regards the discoverer,—a descrip- Ruines de Psestum, p. 15. It is at least
tion of the temples having been pub- established that those marvels of Greek
lished at Naples, by Antonini, in his art have only been known to Europe
work on Lucania, ten years before the for about a century.
been forgotten by the world, till in the middle of the last
century a Neapolitan painter discovered them afresh,
rescuing them from an oblivion of fifteen hundred years.1
So in Etruria, the interesting cemeteries of Norchia and
Castel d'Asso were brought to light not forty years ago
by some sportsmen of Viterbo. I am now about to
describe some other remarkable relics of Etruscan anti-
quity, which owe their rediscovery to the intelligent
enterprise of an Englishman.
In the spring of 1843, Mr. Ainsley, my former fellow-
traveller in Etruria, was making a third tour through this
interesting land, and, not content with beaten tracks, he
penetrated to Pitigliano, and thence made an excursion to
Sovana, in quest of antiquities. Being aware that that
place was known only as the site of the Roman Suana, he
had no reason to expect relics of Etruscan times; yet,
having established such an antiquity for Pitigliano, he
shrewdly suspected the same for the neighbouring site.
Here he inquired for antiquities. Antiquities !—" che
roba $?" Nobody had ever heard of such "stuff" at
Sovana. Prom the provost to the hind, all were alike
ignorant. But his curiosity was excited by some colum-
baria and rock-hewn tombs of familiar character, and he
proceeded to explore the surrounding ravines.
His suspicions were soon confirmed. Here were tombs
with rock-hewn facades as at Norchia and Castel dAsso,—
and, following the range of cliffs, he came to a monument
in the form of a temple, in a style both unique and beau-
tiful. His surprise and delight at this discovery explained
11 give the current story, which I date assigned to the painter's discovery,
believe, however, to have been disproved which was 1755. See Delagardette,
as regards the discoverer,—a descrip- Ruines de Psestum, p. 15. It is at least
tion of the temples having been pub- established that those marvels of Greek
lished at Naples, by Antonini, in his art have only been known to Europe
work on Lucania, ten years before the for about a century.