Pyrgi

Pyrgi was an ancient Etruscan town and port located in Latium, central Italy, northwest of Caere. Today, the place where Pyrgi once stood is part of the borough of Santa Severa.

What makes Pyrgi special is the amazing discoveries made there. Archaeologists found gold tablets that tell stories in both Phoenician and Etruscan languages—languages that are very rare and hard to understand. They also uncovered wonderful terracotta statues that were part of a temple’s roof, showing us how talented ancient artists were.

Excavations

People have been digging at Pyrgi since 1957. They found a big holy area with a special temple for the goddess Uni, who is also called Astarte. They also found a very old place for worshipping two other gods, Sur and Cavatha. In 2009, they discovered some important buildings near Temple A.

History

Pyrgi was an ancient town and port in Italy, founded around the end of the 7th century BC. It was closely connected to the nearby Etruscan city of Caere by a wide and long road, similar to the path between Athens and Piraeus. Pyrgi became the main port for Caere and was an important place for ships traveling along the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The town was once raided by a leader named Dionysius, who took valuable items from a temple. Later, the Romans built a fort at Pyrgi and the town became a place where rich people liked to spend their summers. Over time, Pyrgi was mostly left empty except for a large house.

The Etruscan Settlement

Pyrgi was an ancient Etruscan town and port located in central Italy, near modern-day Santa Severa. It had two main areas separated by a pebbled road, each with its own port. One area was built on a rocky hill, while the other included buildings and possibly a public space.

Excavations have uncovered the remains of a large temple with impressive terracotta statues and walls made of limestone and sandstone. One temple, built around 510 BC, was dedicated to a goddess connected to love and the sea. Another temple, built later around 470-460 BC, honored the Etruscan goddess of dawn and featured detailed carvings showing scenes from Greek myths, including heroes and gods. These carvings are considered some of the finest examples of ancient art.

The Pyrgi Tablets

In 1964, important golden pieces called the Pyrgi Tablets were found here. They have special writings in two old languages, Phoenician and Etruscan, and they belonged to a leader named Thefarie Velianas from Caere.