\f1 \fs22 Chiusi was certainly one of the most important cities of ancient Etruria. The peak of its splendor, between the
end of the sixth and the fifth century BC, coincided with the decline of the coastal metropolises and was due in part to its position, which allowed it to dominate the important highways from inland, and in part to the fertile cultivated fields of the su
rrounding area. One of its kings, \b \cf4 \ATXht55 Porsenna\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , attacked and probably conquered Rome in 509 BC. His monumental tomb was mentioned by Pliny in the first century BC. The uninterrupted inhabitation of the site down to the moder
n era has wiped out almost every trace of the Etruscan city. However many necropolises have been found in the surrounding region, testifying to the existence of small centers of habitation gravitating around the metropolis. The arts and crafts flourished
in Chiusi, with such characteristic products as the \b \cf1 \ATXht1 anthropomorphic\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ossuaries known as cnÿpi or Canopic vases, memorial stones, and \b \cf1 \ATXht2 bucchero\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 vases with stamped or relief decorations. In t
he third century BC Chiusi fell under the control of Rome and in 82 BC Sulla founded a colony there for his own veterans.\par
