The Etruscan necropolis of Tarquinia  is a Unesco World Heritage Site located on the Monterozzi hill, approximately an hour and half drive from Capena.

It is extremely famous for its painted tombs, carved into the rock, accessible by stairs or sloping corridors. Most of them have been built for a single couple and are a burial chamber. The first tombs containing paintings date back to the seventh century.

This necropolis extends for seven hundred and fifty acres and includes approximately two hundred graves. The peculiarity is the vastness of the paintings. In fact, the custom of decorating is not an element confined to this area, but in the Necropolis of Tarquinia Monterozzi the presence of paintings is so extensive  to constitute a factor of great importance, especially because it allows us to understand the evolution of the Etruscan civilization. Here we enter into their homes, we observe them while they eat, intent on feasting while the musicians play and the slaves serve naked; these paintings are photographing the real life of the Etruscans and accompany the deceased in his afterlife journey.

Among the most famous tombs is the Tomb of the Lionesses, dating from the fourth century, consisting of a small room with a gabled roof. The painting depicts birds flying and dolphins jumping around scenes of Etruscan aristocracy. The Tomb of the Hunter,bating from the sixth century BC, is the inside of a tent, a real hunting lodge with its support structure in wood. The Tomb of Hunting and Fishing, one of the most famous and studied, consists of two rooms, the first is a representation of Dionysian dance in a sacred grove, while in the second, a scene of hunting and fishing along with portraits of the owners of the tomb.

The beauty of these paintings can’t be described in words; you need to see them with your eyes.

Entrance fee is €6 or €8 for a cumulative ticket including the entrance to the Museo Nazionale Archeologico.

The necropolis is open all year round, every day except Monday from 8:30 to 19:30.