Altars at Pyrgi

Abstract

Pyrgi is an important and well-preserved, long-lasting site on the seashore north of Rome. It includes a medieval castle with its Borgo dating back to the tenth century CE which is superimposed on the maritime Roman colony, founded around 273 BCE when the Etruscan town of Caere was compelled to deliver a large part of its coastal territory into Roman hands. Both the castle and the Roman colony rest on the rocky promontory delimiting the wide bay which was chosen by Caere as its main harbor. The Etruscan settlement extends over ten hectares along the bay, from the rocky promontory to the sacred area, the widest and most articulated one ever discovered in Etruria, which includes two different sanctuaries. The strict link between Caere and Pyrgi is stressed by a large and monumental road, comparable to the road between Athens and Piraeus, which connected the main town to the sea. The road directly reached the sanctuary and then turned towards the port and the town, mirroring the fundamental role of the sanctuary not only in respect to commercial trade but also as the projection of the mother town on the sea and the expression of its international political role. In addition, the building phases of both sacred areas are strictly linked to the main periods of Caere’s political and social development. In the two sacred areas, the focal points for worship and the performance of ceremonial practices were carefully planned and featured by specific rites. Taking into account the topographical frame, this article illustrates the typology and main features of the altars and related traces of ritual activities.

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