Guided tour in the Necropolis of Tarquinia

In the necropolis of Tarquinia, a UNESCO heritage site, a large number of tumulus tombs with rooms dug into the rock are conserved, in which an extraordinary series of paintings is conserved. It represents the most conspicuous Etruscan pictorial nucleus that has come down to us, and at the time itself the most extensive document of all ancient painting before the Roman imperial age.

Almost 6 Km long, the ”Collina dei Monterozzi” is the most important necropolis of the city. It runs parallel to the costline and separates the etruscan city Civita di Tarquinia from the sea.

The hill counts more than 6.000 tombs, most of them are carved in the stone and topped with mounds, from which the name ”collina dei monterozzi”, even though, unfortunately, a big part of the mounts have been flattened by agricoltural work.

However with the almost 200 painted tombs, which represent its prestigeous core, the necropolis is the most important site in the Mediterranean area and it has been described as ”the first chapter of Italian painting history” by the archeologist Pallottino.

Tombs of aristocratic families decorated with paintings are documented in different Etruscan sites, but here in Tarquinia the phenomenon is particularly large and continuous over time: in fact, it is reported since VII to II sec b.C., which it means, for the whole lifetime of the city.

The section of the Necropolis open to visitors hosts some of the most outstanding painted hypogean tombs, such as the Tomb of the Lionesses, of Leopards, of the Hounting and Finshing etc.

Just outside of the Necropoli dei Monterozzi, on the other side of the street, it is possibile to walk along Fondo Scataglini, a site entirely dug in stone which allows tourits to understand how the necropolis should initially look like.

The National Archaeological Museum of Tarquinia

The floor ground hosts a collection of stone sarcophagi dating back to the mid-4th century BC. Of particular relevance are the sarcophagi Laris and Velthur – of the Partunus family – of the Magistrate, the Priest, the Obese and the Magnate.
On the first floor there is an interesting collection of finds, ranging from the Villanovan to the Roman period, with particular attention to the evolution of Greek and Etruscan painting. In this section there is the most famous piece of the whole museum, a unique work in the world, the high relief of the Winged Horses dating back to the 4th century. a.c., coming from the Altar of the Queen and also for just over two years the sculptural group depicting the god Mithras dating back to the second century. AD, an important testimony of the Roman period in Tarquinia.

Necropolis and archaeological Museum of Tarquinia: opening hour and tickets

Necropolis and museum can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday.
Opening hours of the Necropolis: from 9.00 to 17.00 (last admission at 16.00)
Opening hours of the museum from 9.00 to 19.30 (last admission at 18.30)

Entrance ticket for single site € 6.00 per person, reduced from 18 to 25 years € 2.00 per person, cumulative (necropolis + museum) € 10.00 per person, reduced from 18 to 25 years € 4.00, free for children up to 18 years of age, teachers and journalists.

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