The Foundation in Italy

'50 - '90'

Lerici Foundation and the Etruscans

Within the archaeological prospection activities of the Foundation, in 1957 professor Bartoccini, then Superintendent of Antiquities of Southern Etruria, requested a range of sistematic researches in Monte Abbatone, Bufolareccia, and Banditaccia necropolis, near Cerveteri. From that time, and nearly continuously up to 1965, the Foundation took over explorations leading to the discovery of nearly 650 elements and graves, extracting more than 10.000 finds many of which are now preserved among the collections of the Villa Giulia Museum in Rome, and of the Archaeological Museum in Milan.

The skillful use of geophysic instruments, proton magnetometer and resistivity meter, and the design of the periscope with photographic probe, conceived by Engeneers Lerici and Nistri, today replaced by optical fibers, made that extraordinary result possible.

Since then for two decades on and more, the main part of the prospecting activities of the Foundation focused on the Etruscan territory: Cerveteri, Tarquinia, Vulci, Pyrgi, and others, producing the archaeological map of thousands of tombs. Some of the most important and meaningful ones were discovered: Tomb of Martini Marescotti, Tomb of Olympiad, Tomb of the Jugglers, etc... More of this, the archaeological map of the Civita of Tarquinia has been identified.

Lerici Foundation and the State Archaeological Superintendance

Lerici Foundation has carried out more than 700 prospecting campaigns in Italy under the supervision of the State Archaeological Superintendence at first, Regional later. The specific aim of such campaigns was to protect the buried archaeological heritage from possible damages due to construction works of infrastructures as well as from the several criminal excavations. Moreover, the geophysical/geo-archaeological prospecting have been very often used by Municipalities as predictive methods for correct urban planning.

Olgiata
1996

Preventive investigations within a building lot in the residential area of Olgiata, adjacent to various structures already known to the Superintendence.

Bivona (Vibo Valentia)
1991

Underwater archaeological investigations had identified the remains of piers, perhaps attributable to the ancient port of Hipponion, active in Greek and Roman times.

Scuola "Galatti" (Messina)
1994

The area, in the historic center of the city, home to the "Galatti" middle school, was to be used for the expansion of the adjacent Palace of Justice.

Vibo Valentia (Hipponion)
1983, 1985 - 1999

In the city of Vibo Valentia, as in many cases in Italy, the modern neighborhoods are superimposed on the ancient Greek (Hipponion), Roman (Vibo Valentia) and medieval settlements.