Near the delightful village of Bomarzo, famous for hosting the Sacred Wood, also known as the Park of Monsters, stands a huge boulder of local stone that already at the time of the Etruscans, between the seventh and sixth centuries BC, had been used as a place of worship.
Known as Pyramid Etruscan, it is located in the area "Tacchiolo", near the area of "Santa Cecilia"; the entire surrounding area is rich in finds and settlements dating back to the protohistoric and Etruscan period, such as rock dwellings, altars, cuts and an early Christian cemetery.
The Etruscan Pyramid is also known as "Altare piramidale" or "Sasso del preatore", names that highlight its function as a site for religious rites.
The big boulder that constitutes the Etruscan Pyramid measures about 8 meters by 16 and was found among the thick local vegetation in the early nineties by an expedition led by some local researchers including Giovanni Lamoratta and Giuseppe Maiorano.
Later, in 2008 the area was completely cleaned up by Salvatore Fosci who, armed with patience and passion for his land, cut away the thick vegetation that covered the Etruscan pyramid of Bomarzo giving it new life and making it possible to access the many visitors who have come up there since then.
The structure is a truncated pyramid that recalls in some features those of the Mayan civilization.
On its ridge there are several seats, small niches and a series of steps that allow to reach the two intermediate altars and the one placed at the top of the pyramid.
Going up along the Etruscan Pyramid is also possible to observe a series of channels that most likely had been excavated to facilitate the collection of liquids poured during the sacrificial rites.
There are also a series of channels that were used to collect liquids poured during the sacrificial rites and niches about 15 cm deep intended to accommodate tools of worship.
The path to reach the pyramid, which starts from the Roman cut in the locality Rocchette is not the easiest: you need a spirit of orientation and good walking shoes but the treasures that you meet during the path will repay any effort.
