The Tuscan
Archaeological
Service
The Florentine Territorial Area
Directed by Dr. M. C. Guidotti

H    O    M    E

Our knowledge about the archeological patrimony in the Florentine Territorial Area has been considerably increased since the discovery of the tomb of the Montagnola, at Quinto Fiorentino, and by research carried out in this century, from the mid Sixties onwards. Several Etruscan towns that flourished in the Oriental period (7th-6th century B.C.), have been located and partly explored, as well as numerous monumental chamber tombs situated inside grandiose barrows that once belonged to noble families, presumably the owners of large landed estates. The settlements built on the circle of hills surrounding Florence to the north not only include Fiesole, which is well known, but also Quinto Fiorentino, Sesto Fiorentino, as well as Comeana (the tomb of Montefortini) and Artimino, situated on the hills overlooking the great curve in the river Arno between Lastra a Signa and Montelupo. Other sporadic findings along the ridge of hills to the right of the Arno (Palastreto for example), confirm the Etruscans' control of all the various departure points of the roads leaving the Arno Valley to cross the Appennines in the direction of the Po Valley.



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