Approaching monumental architecture: mechanics and movement in Archaic Etruscan palaces

Abstract

This paper reassesses the architectural setting of a group of monumental buildings dating to the sixth centurybcfrom the Etruscan area of central Italy, sometimes referred to as palaces, orpalazzi. Although scholars traditionally have focused on classifying the buildings, the architectural form is here examined through close comparative analysis of spatial mechanics and movement. Focusing on case-studies from Poggio Civitate (Murlo) and Acquarossa, the author reconstructs the architectural processes of movement, particularly between the exterior and interior spaces arranged around a characteristic courtyard, and concludes that the structures are indicative of a unique Etruscan experience rather than that of Mediterranean palaces more generally. The author calls for a shift away from attempts to categorize these monumental structures in favour of a close analysis of spatial experience in order to explore better their architectural impact and function.