Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia

Photo : Fabrizio Garrisi (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Located in central Italy north of Rome, the Etruscan necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia represent two of the most significant burial complexes of the ancient Etruscan civilization, dating from the 9th to the 1st century BCE. These sites contain thousands of tombs carved into the bedrock, many featuring chamber burials with architectural elements that reflect domestic dwelling structures of their time. The necropolises were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004 for their outstanding testimony to Etruscan society, as the grave goods and tomb decorations provide crucial evidence of daily life, religious beliefs, and artistic achievements of this pre-Roman civilization. The characteristic tumuli, or earth mounds, at Cerveteri and the painted chambers at Tarquinia distinguish these sites and demonstrate the evolution of Etruscan burial practices and artistic expression. These necropolises have yielded invaluable archaeological material that has significantly contributed to the understanding of Etruscan culture and its influence on the development of ancient Italian civilizations.

Nearby Heritage Sites

Cité du VaticanVaticanCultural30.9 km

Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le MuraRomeCultural33.6 km

Centre historique de Rome, les biens du Saint-Siège situés dans cette ville bénéficiant des droits d'extra-territorialité et Saint-Paul-hors-les-Murs