Archaeology enthusiasts will especially enjoy visiting the impressive Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia. The necropolis of Cerveteri alone has 1,000 domed tomb structures arranged like a small city, with paths, squares, and even distinct neighborhoods; the nearby Tarquinia necropolis, officially the Necropolis of Monterozzi, has more than 6,000 tombs carved into the rock. Interestingly, these tombs constructed for the dead are one of the greatest keys we have to understand how the Etruscans lived, as depictions of daily life can be found on frescoed walls, and many of the necropolises resemble Etruscan homes.
Learn more about the predecessors of the Romans by joining a day trip from Rome or shore excursion from Civitavecchia to visit the sites clustered in the rural area of Lazio known as Tuscia. Trips to the necropolises often include additional stops, including tours of the historic village of Tuscania, lunch at Lake Bracciano, or even a wine tasting at an area winery.
The necropolises are largely outdoors, so dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes.
Though each site is home to thousands of tombs, only a portion is open to the public.
The sites are not accessible to wheelchair users.
Cerveteri and Tarquinia are both located in the countryside north of Rome. To avoid the delays of navigating the complicated bus and train connections, the best way to visit both sites (and their museums) in a single day is with a tour.
There is little shelter from the weather at the necropolises, so choose a clear day with mild weather to visit. Keep in mind that the sites are closed on Mondays.
Both of the sites at Cerveteri and Tarquinia have Etruscan museums nearby, displaying treasures unearthed inside the necropolises’ tombs and frescoes removed for preservation purposes. The larger of the two is the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Tarquinia, housed in a 15th-century palace and home to an impressive collection of Etruscan and Greek art. The smaller Museo Nazionale Archeologico Cerite in Cerveteri is set inside a crenelated medieval castle, and unites artifacts unearthed in surrounding Etruscan and Roman sites.
