Necropoli di Malignano, Etruscan necropolis in Sovicille, Italy.

Necropoli di Malignano is an Etruscan burial ground in Sovicille with numerous chamber tombs and shaft graves carved into limestone. The site shows different burial structures that reveal how people of that time laid their dead to rest.

The necropolis was already known from finds that later dispersed, but it was only investigated scientifically in 1964 by the Etruscan Foundation. That campaign brought to light chamber and shaft tombs cut into limestone, with Volterran pottery and coins showing use into the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. Its main period of use was the 5th century BCE, according to classical-era material collected in 1983 during restoration by the Soprintendenza Archeologica per la Toscana.

The burial objects found here reveal trade connections with distant regions and tell us about daily life and relationships of those who used this place. Items discovered suggest contact with communities across a wider territory.

Wear sturdy shoes and watch your step carefully, as the ground is uneven and some areas have deep openings. It helps to go with a guide who can explain the different tombs and what they reveal.

The largest tomb extends about 20 meters deep into the earth and shows impressive construction skill. Such depth was rare and suggests a family of high standing.