Etruscan Highlights from Civitavecchia Port

Your English-speaking chauffeur/guide will welcome you at the dock beside your ship in Civitavecchia at around 8.00am (suggested time). After a pleasant 30 minutes drive we will reach Tarquinia, a lovely etruscan/medieval town just north of Civitavecchia.

Tarquinia is situated on a small hill, overlooking the beautiful natural landscape of the Alta Tuscia. Here you will find the greatest Etruscan museum in the world, with well-preserved sarcophagi, paintings, tombs, frescoes from the 6th to 1st centuries B.C. and the largest Etruscan necropolis. After your chauffeur/guide has introduced to you the history of this interesting town, you can enjoy a relaxing walk along the streets of the town and visit the Etruscan Museum with his world famous “Winged Horse”. 

The Tarquinia’s Archeological Museum has one of Italy’s best collections of Etruscan finds, including a fabulous group of terra-cotta winged horses from the 4th century BC. The necropolis of Tarquinia, also known as Monterozzi, contains 6,000 graves cut in the rock.

It is famous for its 200 painted tombs, the earliest of which date from the 7th century BC.

From Tarquinia we’ll retrace our steps to Ceri, a castle-city also founded by the Etruscans still very well preserved and really fascinating. There your chauffeur/guide can recommend a great local restaurant where we could have a traditional lunch, before to stroll around Borgo di Ceri where you will admire monument such as the Romanesque Church of the Madonna di Ceri venerated the cult of goddess of Vesta.

Then you can visit the necropolis of Cerveteri, often referred to as a “city of the dead,” is quite large and has been planned with the same organization as a town. The most famous attraction of Cerveteri is the Necropoli della Banditaccia, which has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site together with the necropolis in Tarquinia. The name Banditaccia comes from the leasing (bando) of areas of land to the Cerveteri population by the local landowners.

The Tomba dei Rilievi or Tomb of the Reliefs is certainly the most impressive tomb of the whole necropolis of Banditaccia. 

The museum in Cerveteri is worth a look. It’s in an old castle on the charming central piazza. Here you can admire Etruscan art and artifacts found locally, including the contents of some of the tombs. 

At the conclusion of the tour we will drive you back to Civitavecchia in order to arrive in perfect time to re-board your cruise ship.
*Upon request, a local archaeology guide can be provided in Tarquinia & Cerveteri. The price of the guide will be determined based on your specific interests and needs.