Why visit Cerveteri

Cerveteri is located a little over 45 kilometers northwest of Rome. The modern town of Cerveteri is not particularly interesting, though certain sights are worth mentioning, such as the Ruspoli Palace (mostly built in the 16th century by the Orsini family, but with substantial additions dating back to the 17th and the 18th century), the medieval Church of Sant’Antonio Abate, as well as the nearby Castle of Cerenova. The Castle of Cerveteri (or Rocca) is also well worth a visit, but the true tourist drawing card of the town refers to the famed Necropoli della Banditaccia, one of the most important and largest Etruscan necropolises on the Mediterranean basin.

The necropolis has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its archeological value. In fact, much of the hypotheses the community of historians has produced in regard to the culture of the ancient Etruscans are grounded in what the excavations carried out on this necropolis have brought to light. The site stretches on a surface of 400 hectares, though only a small section of it is opened to the visiting public (10 hectares, more exactly). The necropolis comprises tombs as old as the 9th century BC, the newest, so to speak, dating back to the 3rd century BC. The tombs, amounting to a total of 1,000, are not very spectacular on the outside (they look like mere mounds carved in tuff), but their interior is quite revealing: they are constructed such as to materialize the idea of a house for the dead, meaning they are sectioned in a central hall and a corridor from which sundry other rooms can be accessed.

Erie and awe-inspiring, the site is definitely worth visiting, an excellent daytrip idea for holidaymakers of Rome who care to complement their sightseeing tours of the capital with further interesting visits. Also keep in mind Cerveteri (its surroundings, more precisely) is a wine region, which is why, obviously, the fascinating trip to the necropolis can be easily complemented with a tempting exploration of its countryside.

How to get from Rome to Cerveteri

A train trip from Rome to Cerveteri takes around 40 minutes, the railway connection being highly reliable and straightforward, for that matter. In order to learn about the train schedule, terminal in Rome and Cerveteri, ticket prices and the like, please visit Trenitalia.

The bus tours offered by the specialized operators can came in handy in order for holidaymakers of Rome to visit the necropolis. The regional buses operated by COTRAL are a further alternative in terms of public means of transport. In order to learn about the bus schedule and its seasonal variations and stations, please visit COTRAL.