ABSTRACT
The aim of this work it is a synthetic discussion concerning the problems of colour preservation in the Etruscan tombs of Tuscany, closely connected with the more general problem of conservation of the entire funeral monument. This work considers two cases of Etruscan painted tombs, the first located below the soil level (hypogean environment) and the second in open air sites (outdoor environment and semi-confined environment). These cases are connected because they have paintings used as decorations for the walls, statues, sarcophaguses and funerary objects. In both cases, the substrata are made of materials with high porosity which are easy to dig and sculpt, as tuff and sandstone, but, at the same time, highly perishable. In both cases climate conditions (air pollution, light, humidity, temperature), nature and composition of the substrata and of the painted layers are determinant factors for the deterioration. The second case is particularly interesting because only recent studies and investigations, partly still unpublished, led to rediscovery of colours on the rock necropolises of Etruria. Anyhow, the variety of situations (hypogean, outdoor and semi-confined environment) requires a special effort in the attempt to contain and reduce the deterioration of the monuments.
