“The Romans was extra aggressive with the setting they usually used to vary the panorama extra deeply,” Nejrotti mentioned. “You may see that the traces that the Etruscan folks left within the panorama have been fairly comfortable, possibly that is one thing we will be taught from them.”
As my hike ended within the city of Sovana, a former Etruscan metropolis that has lengthy been constructed over, I questioned why I knew so little about Etruscans and their fascinating vie cave, whereas I knew a ton about Romans. In line with Ronca, I should not really feel unhealthy. “Italian folks, not solely European or American folks – no person is aware of about them,” she mentioned. “At colleges, they nonetheless do not train in regards to the Etruscans… They’re actually underestimated and undervalued.”
However that’s beginning to change. Ronca mentioned that previously 5 to eight years, and particularly in the course of the pandemic lockdowns when Italians spent extra time exploring their very own areas, vie cave and their necropolises have grown in reputation. “Ten years in the past, I needed to power folks to come back and see the vie cave,” Ronca mentioned.
Quickly maybe, vie cave might be as busy as extra well-known Roman historic websites, but when they do, Ronca hopes we are going to do our greatest to protect them.
“Vie cave are one thing distinctive. We can not simply remake them,” Ronca mentioned. “As soon as they’re gone, they’re gone eternally.”
Slowcomotion is a BBC Journey collection that celebrates gradual, self-propelled journey and invitations readers to get exterior and reconnect with the world in a secure and sustainable method.
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