The Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri
Necropoli di Cerveteri
These are the Etruscan Necropolises of Banditaccia that extend over a distance of about 10 km (6 miles). They house four hundred burial sites over a period spanning from the 8th to the 2nd centuries BC.
From the point of view of developments in instrumentation and increased architectural awareness, such a wide time span has greatly helped studies of the tombs that are researching the social and urban evolution of the site.
One of the most striking characteristics is the way the paths are laid out in block formation, much like any town. There are numerous circular burial mounds dug from the tufacous surface. These mounds contain an inner burial chamber accessed by a corridor.
The funeral mounds followed the design of Etruscan dwellings.
Necropoli di Cerveteri
Via degli Inferi is the main pathway separating the various burial areas.
One of the most interesting tombs to see is the Tomba dei Rilievi that dates back to the 4th century BC. It houses stuccoes that depict events, animals and objects that were used in day-to-day life. The tomb is of single chamber construction with partitions, balconies, columns and spaces assigned for graves.
Also well-worth noting are the Tombe dei Capitelli, dei Scudi and delle Sedie, delle Cinque Sedie and dell’Alcova.
The Tomba dei Capitelli is completely dug out from the tufaceous surface and an access corridor leads to two small chambers plus a square central room that has three rooms at its end. The tomb dates back to the 6th century BC.
The Tomba dei Scudi e delle Sedie houses six beds with pillows carved from the tufa. These were intended for the bodies of men as women were buried in sarcophagi. There are also high-backed seats and footstools where two terracotta statues rested.
The Tomba delle Cinque Sedie has the same type of interior layout with seats and footstools but in this case there are five of them also bearing statues. These statues had the role of welcoming the dead to the afterlife with a banquet.
The Tomba dell’Alcova is made up of a single square chamber and dates back to the 4th century BC.
The Etruscan Necropolises of Tarquinia
Tarquinia
These necropolises extend for 750 metres and contain about two hundred burial tombs. Their uniqueness is due to both the grandeur of scale and the pictorial decorations. The use of decorations is not unique per se in this area but here, the presence of paintings is so wide as to make them exceptional. This is particularly so as they let us see Etruscan evolution over a wide period spanning from the 7th to the 3rd centuries BC.
The paintings often depict moments in the life of the deceased.
Of the fourteen that are currently open to the public, we suggest that of the Caccia e della Pesca (hunting and fishing) that depict a seascape thriving with fish and birds and youngsters intent on hunting.
The Tomba dei Giocolieri that dates back to the 6th century BC features a lion, a panther, a juggler and an old man.
The Tomba dei Tori is made up of varying rooms. It can be dated back to between 540 and 530 BC. Don’t miss, in the main chamber, the depiction of a scene from the Trojan War featuring Achilles and the son of Priam. There is a depiction of a bull on another wall.
The ancient Metropoli etrusca is to be found near Monte Romano where lie the ruins of a temple dating back to the 6th BC century.
History, art and culture
Cerveteri
Necropoli di Cerveteri
Cerveteri or Kaisra to the Etruscans dates back to the 11th century as proven by the archæological digs that uncovered dwelling areas and necropolises. This Etruscan centre underwent a long period of growth and was at its apogee around the 6th century BC. Thanks to contact with Grecian culture and business dealings with the Phœnicians. This led to a pyramidal power structure with the aristocracy holding the reins. The settlement also had close ties with Carthage and together in 540 BC, they fought the Focese (Greeks) in the battle of the Sardinian Sea winning their place in the history books. From the 5th century onwards, things began to go wrong and over time, these led to the settlement’s decline. First and foremost was the growing conflict with the Greeks followed by the breaking off of trade with Italy. The area came more and more under the influence of the Romans during the 3rd and 2nd centuries. A highly oppressive regime reigned in the Middle Ages and the ancient Kaisra suffered an attack by the Saracens. This led a gradual abandonment of the area and as a consequence, the area was further impoverished due the land being left uncultivated. Malaria in the 12th century drove many of the remaining residents to find healthier places to live.
Cerveteri is the main Etruscan archæological site and is located in a fabulous site between the sea and the mountains not far from the capital city and other main towns. The journey between the historic centre and the necropolises bears witness to a rich and varied mediæval past that can be clearly seen in the locality that is brimming with reminders of other times.
Tarquinia
Tarquinia
Signs of human settlements date back to the prehistoric era but it was between the 10th and 11th centuries that true settlements were established. The ancient town of Tarcxuna (Tarquinia) took its roots on a low limestone hill and its main industry was agriculture. Things changed around the 8th century with a move in the direction of manufacturing and commerce over farming and these factors were fundamental in the subsequent development of the town’s wealth. The town’s good fortune continued until the 5th century when the increasing power of the Roman Empire began to create severe problems. During the entire 4th century, wars raged interspersed with periods of peace until when in 308, the town was overthrown by the Roman army.
Real decay set in from this moment. The Romans appropriated all the properties facing the sea and Tarquinia lost its age-old esteem. Inevitably, the same happened to other surrounding areas that had been sources of income due to levies paid.
Tarquinia sat 130 metres above sea level and due to its uncluttered centre presents many signs of various times in history from the very oldest (thanks to archæological digs) to Mediæval times. There are some wonderful landscapes to be seen like Mounts Tolfa and Cimini, the coast and the Maremma countryside (to mention but a few). This place is without any doubt the ideal destination for visitors who truly love nature.
UNESCO INSCRIPTION
Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia
2004 C (i) (iii) (iv)
The Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on the basis of the following criteria:
Criterion (i); The necropolises of Tarquinia and Cerveteri are masterpieces of creative genius. Tarquinia’s large-scale wall paintings are exceptional both for their formal qualities and for their content, which reveal aspects of life, death, and religious beliefs of the ancient Etruscans.
Cerveteri shows in a funerary context the same town planning and architectural schemes used in an ancient city.
Criterion (iii): The two necropolises constitute a unique and exceptional testimony to the ancient Etruscan civilisation, the only urban type of civilisation in pre-Roman Italy. Moreover, the depiction of daily life in the frescoed tombs, many of which are replicas of Etruscan houses, is a unique testimony to this vanished culture.
Criterion (vi): Many of the tombs of Tarquinia and Cerveteri represent types of buildings which no longer exist in any other form. The cemeteries, replicas of Etruscan town planning schemes, are some of the earliest existing in the region.
