Tomba del Cacciatore, VI sec. a.C

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The Tomb of the Hunter, a true one-of-a-kind among Tarquinia's painted underground tombs. The room, with its double-sloping ceiling and U-shaped bench featuring bed alcoves, is decorated to represent a hunting pavilion. Paintings depict a wooden structure supporting a canopy: the roof's heavier, checkered covering is completed by a band featuring processions of animals, horsemen, and warriors. Below, a grid-patterned fabric forms the pavilion walls, so light that observers can see through it and spot hills on the horizon, animals outside... but it's only an optical illusion! Inside, there are depictions of prey and hanging objects: hats and crowns. The paintings date back to the late 6th century BC, and the chosen theme - hunting - reflects both the commissioner's preferred activity and their aristocratic status.