The stylistic groups

 

All the stelae-statues of Lunigiana can be divided into three main stylistic groups which were induced by the chronological evolution of the sculpture techniques and styles rather than by cultural differences. Therefore, despite the lack of certain data about the cronology coming from archaeological excavations (except for Minucciano III) and on the basis of weapon comparisons, we can hypothesize that group A is the most archaic one, group B corresponds to an intermediate period and group C is the last and most recent style of sculpture which survived until the beginning of the historical period (VI - V century b.C.).

Stelae-statue evolution plot

 

Group A

The statues belonging to this group are very schematic and they are practically more stelae than statues. The anthropomorphic traits are realized with extreme simplicity and detail avarice: they have the head fully connected with the body, U-shaped face, a straight clavicular line and two arms. The fingers of the hands are represented in few monuments only.
The masculine statues show a poignard, drawn with its profile only, with a triangular blade, a short handle and a semi-circular pommel.
The feminine statues are represented with separated breasts made as small disks.
The nine statues of Pontevecchio, found all togheter aligned, belong to this group.

EXAMPLES : ----- Casola ------ Moncigoli

 

Group B

The statues of this group show new structural characteristics and a better accuracy in the execution of the anthropomorphic traits, although they are a direct evolution of the preceding ones.
The most evident new characteristic is the shape of the head which is separated from the body by a cylindrical neck and has two lateral expansions which do it similar to the typical hat of the carabiniere, the Italian policeman. The face can be still U-shaped but can have some details, as the button-like eyes, which increase the realism of its expression (see also the head from Verrucola).
The weapons of the masculine statues are the traditional triangular poignard, in some cases drawn with some other structural details, and an L-shaped axe with a long handle and a flintstone or bronze blade. The feminine statues are represented with the emi-spherical breasts close each other and sometimes they have some jewels, as the necklace of Filetto IV and the particular collar of Treschietto and Sorano II.
Most of the monuments belonging to this group were intentionally broken, specially the heads and the breasts: this is probably the effect of an iconoclastic activity occurred in the past.

EXAMPLES : ----- Malgrate ------ Taponecco

 

Group C

The statues belonging to this group are probably the latest ones. Only masculine statues were found.
These monuments are totally different from those of the other groups: they are by now more statues than stelae. In fact the human figure is now represented in a new realistic style and with a detail richness which are unknown in the preceding sculpture activity.
The head is rounded, distinguishable from the body and have well drawn eyes, nose, mouth and ears. They still have a curved clavicular line but the arms and the hands are in general more realistic.
Some details concerning the weapons and dresses, as for instance the cingulum, i.e. the belt, are represented also on the sides and the back of the monuments.
As far as the chronology is concerned, it can be deduced from some etruscan inscriptions (dated back to the VI century b.C.) and overall from the weapon typology which can be related to that of the Celtic people during the first centuries of the first millennium b.C.

EXAMPLES : ----- Bigliolo ------ Filetto II