3rd Century BC Etruscan Gate at Volterra, Tuscany

This is the Porta all’Arco (one of Volterra's gateways) and is the most famous architectural monument from Etruscan Volterra.

The gateway has a stone arch, decorated with three sculpted heads on the outer façade. The doorposts are made of sandstone blocks and date to the 4th century BC.

The three heads and the arch date to the 3rd and 2nd century BC. It is unclear what these three heads decorating the arch represent, eaten away by centuries of exposure to the strong winds coming from the sea. It is generally thought that they represent the triad of the Gods guardians of Volterra, Jove, Juno and Minerva from the Greek and Roman mythology. Alternatively, they could be Jove and the two Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, as in Perugia?

An urn housed in the Guarnacci Museum from the 1st century has an illustration of a siege taking place around a gateway decorated with three heads: this is the most ancient representation of Porta all’Arco existing.