Etruscan civilization, the Unesco sites of Cerveteri and Tarquinia

this full day tour takes you to discover the marvelous Etruscan archaeological sites, the great civilization that dominated central Italy for many centuries before succumbing to the Romans. An avant-garde people who taught the Romans everything : engineering, rites, religion, and gave 3 kings to the city in the Archaic period. Where did they come from? why did they use a semi-Phoenician alphabet? There are many questions still not fully clarified. One of the most fascinating civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean area . We will visit the necropolis of Cerveteri, with huge mounds and tombs dug into the tuff dating from the VIII to the II century BC. After the lunch break, ( not included but bookable for about 30 euros) we will go to the pretty medieval town of Tarquinia, full of towers and beautiful churches, where we will visit the national museum and the ancient necropolis, with amazing painted tombs, perfectly preserved after 2.500 years. At 18.30 about we drive back to Rome .

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Necropoli della Banditaccia, Via della Necropoli 43/45, 00052, Cerveteri Italy

Cerveteri, was one of the most important cities of the Etruscan civilization. Thriving in trade, it dominated the sea, allied with the Carthaginians. The unseco site, the necropolis, has thousands of tombs along the way of the underworld . We will explore the different types of tombs, revealing the rites and beliefs of this fascinating people. From large mounds, with a diameter of 40 meters, reserved for the aristocracy in which there were several burials, to those excavated for the middle class, similar to houses.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: 01016 Tarquinia, VT, Italy

After a journey of about 40 km, we will arrive in Tarquinia, a pretty medieval town that we will visit on a pleasant walk.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Necropoli dei Monterozzi, SP43 - Strada Provinciale Monterozzi Marina, 01016, Tarquinia Italy

Our final visit will be at the famous necropolis, where you will be fascinated by the numerous very ancient and still well preserved painted tombs. we will see scenes of funeral banquets and games, with which the deceased was welcomed in the afterlife. The more recent tombs instead present scenes in the underworld, with terrible demons, there are no more scenes of lightness, the conception of the afterlife changes to become a distressing experience

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Museo Nazionale Tarquiniense, Piazza Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour 1/a, 01016, Tarquinia Italy

The museum offers us an overview of Etruscan art, with interesting and beautiful funeral objects, including famous works of Greek ceramics, jewelry from the Middle East. There are also sarcophagi with scenes of gladiators' fights, since probably the ritual combats started by the Etruscans . it is often represented also il the paintings inside the tombs .

Duration: 1 hour