The Etruscans: Italy's Vanished Civilisation Small Group Day Tour

Introduction

 The people we call Etruscans inhabited central Italy in the time of the Greeks and Romans; they belong, therefore, to history but they have left us no history themselves.

The Etruscans, indeed, ever since the Renaissance, have been enveloped in an aura of mystery. Their cities are still largely unexplored and are often scenes of that romantic and picturesque desolation which inspires the nostalgia of vanished glories while their tomb-painting, at Chiusi and elsewhere, seem to re-create the life of the people with an almost overpowering immediacy.

This tour offers our guests an opportunity to explore all aspects of Etruscan life and death, combining the passion of our archaeologist guides with special access visits to some of the more restricted tomb-painting sites.

Morning 

Leaving from Florence by luxury minibus, our morning will be spent at the scenic hill-top town of Chiusi, with its Etruscan roots (some 2500 years ago) still visible and prominent.

We will first explore every aspect of Etruscan life and death from beautiful artefacts and everyday objects in the impressive Museo Archeologico Nazionale, holding the worlds more impressive collection of Etruscan material culture.

Next, we have negotiated special access inside the Etruscan necropolis of Chiusi, including the Tomb of the Monkey, Tomb of the Lion and the Pellegrina tomb. 

Afternoon

Our afternoon begins with 'free-time' for the group allowing our guests time to eat and explore at their own pace (usually around two hours). Ovieto is a Medieval hilltop-town, within Umbria, a piece of Italy’s scenic green heartland few tourists reach. Ovieto offers excellent regional food, medieval towers and its stunning Cathedral.

We leave the best to last with a visit to the Belvedere Temple Podium, and the Etruscan cemetery of Crocifisso del Tufo which has the family name carved above the entrance to each tomb. The Etruscans believed the deceased would keep on living in the afterlife, therefore they used to build the city of the dead close to the city of the living and items were laid in the graves next to the deceased, including personal objects thought the deceased would need to lead a life in the underworld.