The creative insights that writers like D.H. Lawrence and A. Huxley, and poets like Giosuè Carducci gave about Etruscans, contributed to the creation of a charming and mysterious feeling around their culture that still exists. Even though the archeological research opened up the knowledge about the mysterious Etruscan people, they are still capable to attract and charm visitors from the whole Europe, thousand of them come to visit their land: Tuscia or Land of Etruscans, First of all, among interest points of the Etruscans’ culture is, without a doubt, the city of Tarquinia. A real must see are the painted tombs of the Montarozzi Necropoli, Unesco world heritage site since 2004. To be acknowledge are are the Triclino’s tombs (V century B. C.), the Auguro’s (530 B.C.), the Barone’s (end of VI century B.C.), of the Hunt and Fishing (520-510 B.C.), The Giocolieri’s (end of VI century, the Cardarelli’s tomb (end of VI century B.C.) the Leopardi’s (around 470 B.C.) and Orco’s (IV century B.C.). In Tarquinia is also possible to visit the ruins of the acropolis with the Etruscan temple of the “Ara of the Queen’ and the roman port Gravisca. The national museum of Etruscans is hosted inside Palazzo Vitelleschi.
Tarquinia, National Archeological Museum
From the coastal city, using the Aurelia highway, it is easy to reach the Archeological Naturalistic Park of Vulci, in the middle of Canino and Montalto di Castro county areas. Here, the Etruscan Necropolis of Ponte Rotto, Osteria, Cavaluppo, Cuccumella—with the famous Tomba Francois, IV century B.C. — can be admired with the awesome ruins of the etruscan-roman City and the national museum inside the Castello della Badia. Probably this is the most fascinating Etruscan site in Italy, not only for the ancient Vulci acropolis, but also for the splendid landscape formed by the Park, with its 4 Km of extension including the monuments, the necropolis, the naturalistic beauties offered by the Lago Pellicone and the Fiora River.
Etruscan painting. The Leopards Tomb
Tuscania is only 20 km inland, there one can find a rich production of nenfro sarcophagi, today shown inside the National Museum of Santa Maria del Riposo. Tuscania is the third vertex of the “Etruscan triangle”. Within the city extended area are the Etruscan necropolis of the Olivo (V-VI century B.C.) with the Queen tomb, of the Peschiera (VII-VI century B.C.) with the Dado Tomb and the Etruscan necropolis of Pian di Mola (VI century B.C.). There are also roman vestiges with thermal ruins, of the Via Clodia and of some villas located inside the acropolis of S. Pietro.
From the mound tombs typical of the coastal cities, such as Tarquinia and Vulci, the peculiar evidence of the Etruschi change shape. It goes from the nut tombs, semi-nut tombs and with a simple facade carved into the tufaceous walls of the gorges characterizing all the Etruscan settlements within the coast.
In the territory around Viterbo we find the necropolis of Castel d’Asso (IV century B.C.), whose findings are kept at Museo Civico of S.Maria of the Verità. In the city, the National Museum of the Rocca Albornoz offers a complete overview of the Etruscan settlements. Here are shown the extraordinary example of the civil architecture of Acquarossa, location of an important arcaic settlement (VII-VI century B.C.), in addition to a series of vestiges from the necropolis of Norcia, San Giovenale, Bisenzio. In the museum is also preserved the scuptural group of the Augustan age coming from the theater of Ferento, whose ruins of the III century B.C. They can be visited along with the remains of the roman baths.
Proceeding towards Rome, just south of Viterbo, it is possible to visit Norchia, an ancient settlement whose Etruscan necropolis is preserved and a series of structures dating back to the medieval period. In the same area you can see remains of roman besolato belonging to the ancient via Clodia. Not far, in the territory of Vetralla, are the Etruscan necropolis of Grotta Porcina (VII-III century B.C.) and of the Cerracchio (VI-V century B.C.) and the rest of the Forum Cassii, ancient post station along the consular road Cassia then seat of some roman Villas. Not far, in Barbarano Romano, the Etruscan necropolis of San Giuliano rise where the impressive remains of the roman Etruscan and medieval city are preserved. In the nearby territory of Blera are the necropolis of Pian del Vescovo and of the Mattarello (VII-II century B.C.) as well as the remains of the prehistoric settlement of the Luni on the Mignone (XY-XII century B.C.) and the evidence relating to the settlement of the Bronze Age of San Giovenale. Proceeding along via Cassia you will come across the ancient city of Sutri where in the valley floor it is possible to visit the Etruscan necropolis (VI-IV century B.C.), the splendid Roman Etruscan amphitheater and the church of the Madonna of the Piano, also known as Mitreo.
Sutri. The Amphitheatre
Form the “Etruscan triangle” (Tarquinia, Vulci, Tuscania), we move to reach the area of Lake Bolsena touching the village of Valentano where we find the museum of prehistory of Tuscia, inside which the evidence of prehistoric settlements found at the bottom of Lake Mezzano, Farnese e Ischia di Castro. In the area, it is interesting to visit the settlements of the Bronze Age of the Silva of the Lamone in Farnese, and the Romitori valley on the Flora River, among which it is in evidence the Romitorio of Poggio Conte in Ischia di Castro.
Not only the settlement of the Sorgenti of the Nova, also of interest the very rich Etruscan necropolis present everywhere in the territory (VII-Vi century B.C.) and the ruins of the city of Castro, the capital of the Farnese duchy destroyed during 1649 by the papal forces and never rebuilt. Last stops of the Etruscan journey are Lake Mezzano, with important prehistoric palafitte settlement rests, the vast Bisenzio necropolis (city of Umbro-Etrustan origin) in Capodimonte and Bolsena, the palafitte settlements in the Gran Carro place, the Etruscan necropolis of Poggio Pesce and Battaglini, the Territorial Museum of Lake Bolsena located in the Rocca Monaldeschi of the Cervara and in the nearby Monaldeschi Palace, has archeological evidences, both geological and naturalistic findings from the lake area and manufactured goods found in the old Etruscan Roman town of Velzna (today’s Bolsena) visitable at the excavation of Poggio Moscini. Furthermore, located in the nearby territory of Grotte di Castro, noticeable are the Etruscan necropolis of Vigna di Piazza, of Meccarino, and of Pianezze (VII-V century B.C.).
In the middle of Vitorchiano, Soriano al Cimino and Bomarzo, there are particularly relevant archeologican areas, with an Etruscan necropolis in between Lombard vestiges and remains of the final bronze settlements. Even though they are not always clearly indicated one can reach the archeological areas of Corviano, Malano and Santa Cecilia. The Valle of the Altari and the Etruscan Pyrami, just as important and full of charm are visitable through uncharted paths.
Once the Monti Cimini are behind you, in the Agro Falisco territory, near Fabrica di Roma, are the ruins of Faleri Novi, city built near the Via Amerina after the year 24 B.C. When the romans conquered and destroyed the old city of Falerii Velteres. In nearby Civita Castellana, there is the Agro Falisco Archeological Museum, created inside the Forte Borgiano, developed by Antonio da Sangallo, rich of evidence of the Faliscan culture.
