Private Shore Excursion from Civitavecchia: Etruscan Treasures in the Lazio Countryside

Highlights

• Etruscan Site Exploration
• Private Driver Tour
• Lazio Countryside Scenery

What's included

Itinerary

1. 1

   Tarquinia

   1h

   Tarquinia (Italian: [tarˈkwiːnja]), formerly Corneto, is an old city in the province of Viterbo, Lazio, Italy known chiefly for its ancient Etruscan tombs in the widespread necropoleis or cemeteries which it overlies, for which it was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. In 1922 it was renamed after the ancient city of Tarquinii (Roman) or Tarch(u)na (Etruscan). Although little is visible of the once great wealth and extent of the ancient city, archaeology is increasingly revealing glimpses of past glories.

2. 2

   Cerveteri

   1h

   A quiet provincial town 35km northwest of Rome, Cerveteri is home to one of Italy's great Etruscan treasures – the Necropoli di Banditaccia. This ancient burial complex, now a Unesco World Heritage Site, is all that remains of the formidable Etruscan city that once stood here.

3. 3

   Necropolis of Tarquinia

   1h

   Necropolis of Tarquinia, called also Etruscan necropolis of Monterozzi, overlies on a highland to the east of the city with some 6000 tombs, many of which were covered by tumulus with chambers carved in the rock below. The oldest ones date from VII century BC. Among thousands graves, at least 200 are decorated with a number of frescos which are the main core of the Etruscan art came to us so far and the largest evidence of ancient painting before Roman age. Together with the necropolis of Cerveteri it is one of the most important archaeological sites of the Etruscan civilization.

4. 4

   Museo Nazionale Cerite

   40min

   Housed in a medieval fortress on what was once ancient Caere's acropolis, this interesting little museum houses archaeological artefacts unearthed at the nearby Necropoli di Banditaccia. Exhibits, which are displayed in two halls, include terracotta vases, black bucchero tableware and jewellery. The highlight is the Euphronios Krater, a celebrated 1st-century-BC vase that was returned to Cerveteri in 2015 after an extended period in New York and Rome.

Before you go

Location

Italy