Necropolis of Vallone San Lorenzo

The Umbrian-Etruscan Necropolis of Vallone San Lorenzo is located between Montecchio and Baschi in the Tiber River Park, along the slopes descending towards the San Lorenzo stream, a small tributary of the river. It is one of the largest pre-Roman necropolises discovered in Umbria so far, which testifies to the existence of a thriving center, not yet identified, in the immediate vicinity of the Tiber. The visit to the necropolis, and to this part of the Park, is made easier by the presence of a guided path and equipped with rest areas. The investigations have revealed numerous tombs carved into the rock, usually consisting of a single quadrangular chamber preceded by a short access corridor (dromos). The interior was equipped with docks for the deposition of the grave goods and the deceased, according to a rather fixed ritual, which consisted of piling bones and objects in the corners to make room for new burials. In the earliest phase (7th century BC) the grave goods reveal a population significantly influenced by the hegemonic site of Etruscan Orvieto. In the most recent one (4th century BC) a progressive impoverishment is documented which will lead to the definitive abandonment of the necropolis. Various materials are exhibited at the municipal Antiquarium in the nearby hamlet of Tenaglie. The necropolis, discovered in the nineteenth century and methodically investigated during the 1970s, was used from the seventh to the fourth century BC.

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