DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.786#0232
chap, xlii.] THE HILL OF CASTIGLIONE BEENARDI.
215
Tyrrhene construction, such as might correspond with the
remains of the Etruscan city of Vetulonia."5 Why then
suppose this to have been the site of that famous city %
First—because he finds the hill so called in certain docu-
ments of the middle ages, one as far back as the eleventh
century.6 Secondly—because it is not far from the river
Cornia, which abounds in hot springs, some of which he
thinks must have been those mentioned by Pliny as exist-
ing,—ad Vetulonios *"7 besides being in the immediate
neighbourhood of a lake—Lago Cercbiaio—of hot sulphu-
reous water. Thirdly—because a few tombs of Etruscan
construction, and with undoubted Etruscan furniture, have
been found in the vicinity. Fourthly—and on this the
Cavaliere lays most stress—because the situation assigned
to Vetulonia by Ptolemy was in the district comprised
between Volterra, Siena, and Populonia,8 which he thinks
5 Ricerche di Vetulonia, Lettera II.
pp. 35, 36, 52. Published also in the
Memorie dell' Institute. IV. pp. 95—
136.
6 Ric. di Vetul. p. 29. Repetti (V.
p. 706), however, tells us that many
documents of the tenth century speak
of this Castiglione, without mentioning
the " hill of Vetulonio." How this spot
acquired the name of Vetulonium which
it bore during the middle ages, it is not
easy to say. That it bore this appella-
tion in Etruscan times we have no
proof. That the names of places were
often altered by the ancients we have
evidence in Etruria and its confines—
Camers was changed to Clusium, Agylla
to Csere, Aurinia to Saturnia, Nequinum
to Narnia, Felsina to Bononia—and we
know that the name of a town was
sometimes transferred from one site to
another, as in Ealerii and Volsinii—and
that names were occasionally multiplied
we see in Clusium Vetus and Clusium
Novum; in Arretium Vetus, Arretium
Fidens, and Arretium Julium. It
must also be remembered that the
nomenclature of the middle ages is no
evidence of that of more early times.
Through the fond partiality of an
ecclesiastic for his native-place, or the
blunder of some antiquary, ancient
names were often attached to sites, to
which they did not belong. Such
errors would soon however become
traditional with the people, anxious to
maintain the honour of their native
town, and would even pass into their
documents and monumental inscrip-
tions. Thus it was that Civita Castel-
lana was made the ancient Veii ; and
thus Annio's forgeries and capricious
nomenclature became current for ages
in the traditions of the people.
1 PHn. N. H. II. 106.
8 Ric. di Vetul. p. 93. He even pro-
poses to make this the basis of his re-
searches for the site of Vetulonia. But
215
Tyrrhene construction, such as might correspond with the
remains of the Etruscan city of Vetulonia."5 Why then
suppose this to have been the site of that famous city %
First—because he finds the hill so called in certain docu-
ments of the middle ages, one as far back as the eleventh
century.6 Secondly—because it is not far from the river
Cornia, which abounds in hot springs, some of which he
thinks must have been those mentioned by Pliny as exist-
ing,—ad Vetulonios *"7 besides being in the immediate
neighbourhood of a lake—Lago Cercbiaio—of hot sulphu-
reous water. Thirdly—because a few tombs of Etruscan
construction, and with undoubted Etruscan furniture, have
been found in the vicinity. Fourthly—and on this the
Cavaliere lays most stress—because the situation assigned
to Vetulonia by Ptolemy was in the district comprised
between Volterra, Siena, and Populonia,8 which he thinks
5 Ricerche di Vetulonia, Lettera II.
pp. 35, 36, 52. Published also in the
Memorie dell' Institute. IV. pp. 95—
136.
6 Ric. di Vetul. p. 29. Repetti (V.
p. 706), however, tells us that many
documents of the tenth century speak
of this Castiglione, without mentioning
the " hill of Vetulonio." How this spot
acquired the name of Vetulonium which
it bore during the middle ages, it is not
easy to say. That it bore this appella-
tion in Etruscan times we have no
proof. That the names of places were
often altered by the ancients we have
evidence in Etruria and its confines—
Camers was changed to Clusium, Agylla
to Csere, Aurinia to Saturnia, Nequinum
to Narnia, Felsina to Bononia—and we
know that the name of a town was
sometimes transferred from one site to
another, as in Ealerii and Volsinii—and
that names were occasionally multiplied
we see in Clusium Vetus and Clusium
Novum; in Arretium Vetus, Arretium
Fidens, and Arretium Julium. It
must also be remembered that the
nomenclature of the middle ages is no
evidence of that of more early times.
Through the fond partiality of an
ecclesiastic for his native-place, or the
blunder of some antiquary, ancient
names were often attached to sites, to
which they did not belong. Such
errors would soon however become
traditional with the people, anxious to
maintain the honour of their native
town, and would even pass into their
documents and monumental inscrip-
tions. Thus it was that Civita Castel-
lana was made the ancient Veii ; and
thus Annio's forgeries and capricious
nomenclature became current for ages
in the traditions of the people.
1 PHn. N. H. II. 106.
8 Ric. di Vetul. p. 93. He even pro-
poses to make this the basis of his re-
searches for the site of Vetulonia. But