Tarquinia, Archaeological site in Province of Viterbo, Italy
Description
Tarquinia is a small town in the Province of Viterbo in northern Lazio, around 90 kilometres northwest of Rome. The settlement sits on a hill above the Marta River valley, roughly seven kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea coast.
History
The Etruscans founded the city of Tárchuna here in the eighth century BC, which became one of the main centres of their culture. Rome conquered the area in the fourth century BC and turned the settlement into a Roman colony.
Culture
The large necropolis on the Monterozzi hill contains thousands of tombs cut into the tuff stone, with several hundred chambers showing wall paintings of banquets, dancers and athletes. Many visitors discover coloured scenes from daily Etruscan life painted directly onto the walls that remain visible today.
Practical
The National Museum in Palazzo Vitelleschi displays a large collection of Etruscan finds, including painted tomb slabs and pottery from the surrounding necropolises. Some of the tomb chambers with wall paintings are open to visitors, with access usually organised in small groups.
Did you know?
The Tomb of the Bulls, one of the oldest painted tombs in the necropolis, carries erotic depictions that are very rare in Etruscan funerary art. This chamber dates from the sixth century BC and is considered an early example of western wall painting.
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Tomb of the Leopards
1.3 km
Tomba della Fustigazione
1.2 km
Necropolis of Monterozzi
1.1 km
Tomb of the Triclinium
1.3 km
Tomb of the Bulls
3.3 km
Tomb of Orcus
2 km
Tomb of the Augurs
3.4 km
Ara della Regina
3.9 km
Tomb of the Lionesses
1 km
Tomb of Hunting and Fishing
1 km
Necropoli di Tarquinia
931 m
Santa Maria in Castello
807 m
Cencelle
10.3 km
Tarquinia Cathedral
596 m
Palazzo Vitelleschi
517 m
Winged-horses of Tarquinia
0 mRiserva Statale Salina di Tarquinia
6.3 km
Tomb of the Blue Demons
1.2 km
Tomba dei Giocolieri
1 km
Tarquinia National Museum
521 m
Tomba dei Caronti
1.1 km
Tomba Claudio Bettini
1.2 km
Tomba del Guerriero
1 km
Tomba del Barone
3.3 kmTomba delle Bighe
3.1 km
Boca Do Mar
8.9 km
Tomba della Pulcella
1.1 kmTomba del Cacciatore
1 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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