GROTTA
PORCINA (Vetralla)
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Submerged in greenery and the tranquillity of an untouched countryside,
between Blera and Borchia, this town preserves a collection of Etruscan monuments of
particular value and interest. It was built on a modest agricultural settlement the place
of which is unknown.
The headland was elongated by a steep tufaceous hill and in its final part a mound was
modelled (Casteltuzzo) with a diameter of 28 m and a tambour measuring 3.50 m high and
that the remains of the perimetrical decoration is still evident (VI cent. B.C.). Inside
there is a tomb that is formed into three areas in an axis, with sculptured ceilings that
have unfortunenately been altered over the centuries. By the side of the grave there is
another tomb divided into two rooms these too have sculptured ceilings. There are others
too that are situated on the apposite hill. Going down towards the valley are the remains
of a great cylindrical altar with floral and animal decorations highlighted at the bottom,
surrounded by a flight of steps built from the tuff (VI cent. B.C.) known as the oldest
"cultural theatre" of the Tuscia. In the surrounding area we can see the base of
an altar dating from the Hellenistic period that was later transformed into PESTAROLA. Not
far from this at the foot of a rise, surrounded by other chamber tombs, are the remains of
a small temple with areas of which are built in the tufaceous rock (VI cent. B.C.) with
tèmenos and votive wells, in use up until the third century B.C.
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