Pupulonia Lucumonia
Lukus Puplunae – PhuPhluna
From Populonia’s port used to depart boats full of iron belonging to the island of Elba and products from the ancient Etruscan Maremma (today Tuscany maremma). It was the only Etruscan city-state built right on the costline of the Tyrrhenian sea. In the 4th century the city flourished incredibly and its economy based on maritime trade and iron industry would contribute to a long period of welfare. Populonia (Puplunae in Etruscan) is, in fact, one of the very few Etruscan cities that created coins made out from gold, silver and copper that still today can be admired. Figures on the coins recall its strong commercial activity by using picture of great importance for the Etruscans; a head of a Vulcan, a hammer, the divinity Minerva, an owl, a rising moon with two stars were usually the powerful signs, Mercury’s head was the most famous. It is still unknown when Populonia was absorbed by the Romans, some historic documents suggest around the 205 BC when the city supported Scipio the African during the second Punic war. Anyway, the Romans did not destroy this Etruscan city as they did with the others; the city never had to be reconstructed because was probably absorbed peacefully.
