The Etruscan city of
Vulci (VelX- in Etruscan) lies on the border between Lazio and Tuscany, about fifty miles
north-west of Rome. Vulci was famous for trade, handicrafts and
agriculture. Active from as early as the 8th century BC, the city expanded its control
over the surrounding territory in the following two centuries. After the crisis of the 5th
century BC, which did not seriously affect Vulci, the recovery of the following century
led to the construction of new public works, such as the walls and the temple, discovered
in the urban area. In the second half of the 4th century BC, Vulci began to feel the
weight of Roman expansionism. The struggle to remain independent came to an end in 280 BC
when, defeated, it had to relinquish a large part of its territory, including the coast to
Rome. Once it had lost its independence, the city declined and rapidly disappeared
completely.
