Belmonte Piceno

Belmonte Piceno stands on a ridge dividing the Tenna valley from that of the Ete Vivo, halfway between the Adriatic and the Sibillini mountains. The name states its position and is attested from the late thirteenth century; the addition «Piceno», on the other hand, dates from 21 February 1863, when it had to be told apart from the many other Belmonte in Italy and it was decided to recall the people who first lived on these hills. The choice turned out to be more apt than anyone could have guessed.

Between 1909 and 1911 the government excavations at Colle Ete brought to light more than 200 Picene burials, dating from the eighth to the fifth century before Christ. The richest is the so-called tomb of the Duce, a prince buried around the middle of the sixth century with six two-wheeled chariots, disc-cuirasses, figured greaves, weapons and four bronze helmets; from it come also the two bronze handles showing a warrior between two horses, the «lord of the horses». Then there are two women's burials with chariot, amber and iron weapons, which the archaeologists at once called the tombs of the Amazons. And the digging is not over: in 2018 an ivory casket came out, with amber figures telling Greek myths.