Necropolis of Tarquinia — Attraction in Tarquinia

It’s magical to think that we are able to experience this piece of art dating VII century BC. Among thousands graves, at least 200 are decorated with a number of frescos which are the main core of the Etruscan art. On this site, you can visit around 22 tombs. Some of them are closed and the frescos are not so well maintained unluckily. Still, something to see once in life. Together with the necropolis of Cerveteri it is one of the most important archaeological sites of the Etruscan civilization. The price is 6 euros to visit the graves but I recommend to combine it with the visit to the Etruscan museum in the center of Tarquinia (unmissable!) for 10 euros. If you go during summer, bring water because you will have to descend in each grave (22 times down and up) and it gets pretty hot as you are outside under the sun or down the graves where there is no air conditioning. Good visit for families and groups. I advise to read a bit before the visit so you are better aware of the history of the place and the tombs. Toilets...

The main settlement of the Etruscans was near Tarquinia, before the Romans destroyed it and the area has yielded some incredibly rich tombs. This necropolis is a World Heritage Site but again, is poorly sign posted, there is no car park and it isn't even really clear where the entrance is. We eventually got in and paid our cash (no cards) to explore the tombs.

I think there were about 40 tombs that you could visit and these had proper stairs and the tomb itself was behind a glass door. You could illuminate it once you got there and the idea was to protect the frescoes from light and humidity. Some of the doors had condensation on the glass so you couldn't really see much and some of the paintings were so decayed they were severely open to interpretation. However there were a solid core that still had vibrant colours and designs that gave a glimpse into the people and society of pre-Roman Italy. The engineering involved in building the tombs also showed where the Romans got that...

The place is worth visiting. A green hill overlooking the fields outside the city. Filled with well preserved chambers/ tombs what are dug into the ground and "visitable". The admission which normally is just €8 for adults, was free on the 1st sunday of the month. Signs tell in italian and english the story behind each of the persons to which the tombs are devoted to. The simple architecture of the place, the scenery and the fact that a lot of work has been put in place to make this visitor friendly even for everyone make it certainly...