Tumulus of Montefortini

The Tumulus of Montefortini is an Etruscan burial monument near Comeana in the municipality of Carmignano, Province of Prato, Tuscany, central Italy. Dating to approximately the 7th century BC, it stands as one of the most significant Etruscan archaeological sites in the region. The monument consists of an artificial oval burial mound, roughly 80 metres in length and 11 to 12 metres in height, which contains two distinct tombs. Its importance lies in its exceptional state of preservation, the richness of its grave goods, and the light it sheds on Etruscan funerary practices and international connections during the Orientalizing period. The site is now part of the archaeological park of Carmignano and draws visitors interested in Etruscan civilization.

The tumulus was discovered on 21 February 1965 by four young men from Prato, Mario Franco Gori, N. Coppini, M. Mariotti, and G. Guarducci, who were digging on a small hill near the Comeana cemetery and uncovered terracotta fragments and stone slabs belonging to an Etruscan tomb complex. They reported their find to the carabinieri of Poggio a Caiano. Systematic excavations began in 1966 under the direction of archaeologist Francesco Nicosia, whose name was later given to the Archaeological Museum of Artimino where the finds are housed. The first tomb to be investigated, now known as Montefortini Tomb I, was excavated and restored from 1966 onward. The existence of a second burial chamber at the centre of the mound had long been suspected, but it was not until 1982 that excavation of Montefortini Tomb II commenced. The site has since become a focal point for understanding Etruscan presence in the Prato area.

The archaeological finds from the Tumulus of Montefortini comprise an exceptionally rich assemblage of grave goods that illuminate the wealth and cosmopolitan connections of the Etruscan aristocracy. The collection includes carved and finely engraved works, coarse ceramic cinerary urns, bucchero cups, and fragments of Egyptian glass-paste vessels from Tomb I. From Tomb II, excavators recovered an iron fibula, fragments of ivory, decorated ostrich eggshells, Egyptian blue glass, amber, and additional bucchero fragments. The most celebrated pieces include a rare turquoise glass bowl, numerous ivory objects such as plaquettes, small male and female figures, animals, floral elements, and combs, as well as bucchero plates. These materials demonstrate extensive political and economic relationships with the eastern Mediterranean, mediated in part through Greek and Phoenician mercantile networks. All finds are preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Artimino, dedicated to Francesco Nicos pervasive Nicosia.

The signature discoveries from Montefortini are divided between its two tombs. Tomb I, the rectangular chamber tomb, features a 13-metre dromos leading to a quadrangular vestibule measuring 2.10 by 2.50 metres, originally covered with a false corbelled vault of projecting stone slabs. A trilitic portal with two movable door leaves surmounted by an architrave opens into the perfectly rectangular burial chamber, 4.50 by 2.55 metres, with a shelf along the walls for cinerary urns. Despite ancient looting, it yielded sufficient material to date its use between 625 and 575 BC. Tomb II, the tholos tomb at the centre of the mound, has a diameter of about seven metres, is built of sandstone, and features a central pillar supporting the false dome. This tomb suffered partial collapse, perhaps from an earthquake, and was also tampered with in antiquity. Visitors can now view the tholos from above via a raised walkway, gaining an extraordinary perspective of the architectural structure. The turquoise glass bowl and the extensive ivory collection rank among the most precious Etruscan objects recovered from any site in Tuscany.

The tumulus itself is an artificial hill, oval in plan, with a diameter of 70 to 80 metres and a height of 11 to 12 metres. It is encircled by a sandstone drum, interrupted on the north-western side by a platform believed to have supported a sacrificial altar. The monumentality of the structure is heightened by its setting within a forest of oak and holm oak. The two tombs represent different architectural solutions: the tholos tomb with its circular plan, central pillar, and false dome, and the later rectangular chamber tomb with its monumental open-air entrance corridor and false vault. The tholos features a terrace-altar devoted to ceremonial funerals, orthogonal to the drum and bounded by pseudo-tiers. The construction techniques and spatial organisation exemplify the sophistication of Etruscan funerary architecture during the Orientalizing period.

The Tumulus of Montefortini is located at Via Montefortini in Comeana, Carmignano, Province of Prato. It forms part of the Parco Archeologico di Carmignano and is included in the itinerary In the footsteps of the Etruscans. Entry is free of charge. Opening times are variable, and visitors are advised to consult the official website at https://www.parcoarcheologicocarmignano.it/aree/tumulo-di-montefortini/ or contact the park by telephone at 055 8718124 or by email at parcoarcheologico@comune.carmignano.po.it. The site is accessible to disabled visitors. The tholos tomb can be viewed from above via a raised walkway. After visiting the tumulus, visitors may proceed to the nearby Archaeological Museum of Artimino, named after Francesco Nicosia, to see the original grave goods. The hilltop location offers panoramic views over the Montalbano vineyards and the Ombrone valley.