Necropoli della Cannicella

The Cannicella Necropolis below Orvieto includes an Etruscan burial area associated with a sanctuary dedicated to a female divinity.

Why it matters

The combination of tombs and a sacred area distinguishes Cannicella within Orvieto's Etruscan landscape. The sanctuary's terracotta decoration and the statue known as the Venus of Cannicella inform interpretations of the area's funerary and religious use.

What to notice

Tombs were cut into the tuff slope in relation to its natural terraces. The sanctuary occupied an area among the burials, rather than apart from them. Architectural terracottas from the site are preserved in Orvieto's archaeological collections, as is the statue known as the Venus of Cannicella.

Context and history

Cannicella served the southern side of the Etruscan city of Velzna. The sanctuary is dated to the second half of the sixth century BC, and the cult continued into the fourth century BC. The site is associated with a female divinity, sometimes interpreted as a local form of Uni. Excavations over more than a century recovered material now divided between state and local museum collections.