Altitude 81 m (265 feet). 32,000 inhabitants
Etruscan Kysry, Greek Agylla, Roman Caere
It dates
back to the ninth century BC
The name
comes from Caere Vetus, old Caere
In May the Ludi Ceretani take place, an evocation
of the ancient Etruscan games
Palazzo
Ruspoli
Ruspoli
Palace
Built in
1533 for the Orsini family
It houses
the MUSEO ORNITOLOGICO (Ornithological Museum) with 300 specimens collected in
the years 1887/1948
S.
Maria Maggiore
St.
Mary Major
Romanesque
church of the twelfth century
It has
become since 1951 almost the transept of the larger current church
It is also
known as S. Felice Papa, St. Felix
Pope
MAIN ALTAR
"Madonna
and Child with Sts. Michael and Peter" 1472 by Lorenzo
da Viterbo (about 1444/72)
Rocca
Ruspoli
Ruspoli
Fortress
Fortress of
the thirteenth century donated by the Ruspoli family to the Italian state in
memory of Princess Claudia
It is the
seat of the Town Hall of Cerveteri
Triptych
"Adoration of the Magi" 1500s by unknown
artists of the Flemish school
"St. Blaise" by Pietro Bonaccorsi aka
Perin del Vaga (1501/47)
Museo
Nazionale Cerite
National
Museum of Caere
It opened
in 1967
Here are
objects found during the excavations of the necropolis of Cerveteri and of its surroundings
First
Room
Objects dating
back to the period when the Villanovian civilization was thriving in the area
of the city, with burial kits from the Tombs
of Sorbo
"Small
urn with a married couple eating on the lid", draft copy of the most
well-known sarcophagus stored at the National
Etruscan Museum at Villa Giulia
"Mixing
bowl" by the Painter of Eptacordo, an
artist working in Caere in the early decades of the seventh century BC
Painted
ceramics imported from Corinth and Cumae such as the ones from the Grave 2 of
Casaletti of Ceri
Amphorae used
for transporting goods and tableware ceramic imported from Greece, such as the
ones from Monte Abatone
"Youth
sprawled" from the Grave 92 of Bufaloreccia
Kits from
the rich Grave 170 for women with barrel, stool and sandals
Second
Room
"Sarcophagi
of the Hellenistic period" from the Tomb of the Tasmie and the Tomb of the
Sarcophagi, both located outside the fence of the Banditaccia Necropolis, in
the area known as Tombe del Comune (Tombs
of the City)
Series of
clay slabs painted from the so-called Temple of Hera
Beautiful
"Statue of Charon" with lions and sphinxes from the Sant'Angelo
Necropolis
At the side of the room opposite the entrance, there are several votive anatomical objects and some architectural terracotta pieces used during religious ceremonies
Necropoli della Banditaccia
Banditaccia
Necropolis
Set on a
high tufa stone hill northwest of Cerveteri
Total area
of 400 hectares (1,000 acres) with many thousands of graves
The area
that can be visited inside the fence it is only 10 hectares (24 acres) in size
and there are about 400 graves from the earliest period, the so called Villanovian
period (ninth century BC) to the most "recent" of the Etruscan period
(third century BC)
The oldest
core of Villanovian tombs is in the area known as Cava della Pozzolana
The name
"Banditaccia" (the biddable) derives from the fact that from the late
nineteenth century the area was auctioned rented by the local landowners of
Cerveteri in favor of the local population
It is the
largest ancient necropolis in the whole Mediterranean area
Since July
2004, it is part of the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites
Villanovian
burials (from the ninth until the eighth century BC) are shaped as small wells
where the ashes of the deceased were kept, or are underground tombs for
inhumation
From the
seventh century BC onwards, in the Etruscan period, there are two types of
burials:
SEPOLTURE A
DADO (Tombs shaped as square rooms)
These kind
of tombs consist of a long line of tombs along burial streets. Two of these streets
are the so called Via dei Monti Ceriti
(Cerae Mountains Road) and Via dei Monti
della Tolfa (Tolfa Mountains Road) of the sixth century BC
SEPOLTURE A
TUMULO (Burial mounds)
These kind
of tombs have a tuffaceous circular structure which contains a representation
of the house of the deceased, with corridor (dromos) to access the various rooms. Beds covered with a sloping roof
on one of the short sides indicate female burials
The details
of the interior of these tombs have allowed scholars to find out precious
information about habits in Etruscan households
Area
inside the fence
Archaic Area
Five jars
of tufa (ziri) and tombs of the early
Iron Age (ninth/eight century BC)
Tomb of the Capitals (1)
End of the seventh
century or early sixth century BC
Completely
dug out of tufa with vestibule and two small side rooms plus a central
rectangular hall leading to three more rooms
“Eolic
capitals" probably inspired or made by Greek peoples from Cyprus
Tombs of the late period
Long wall
in tufa stone with tombs of the period of decadence (fourth/third century BC) characterized
by the presence of cippiera,
containers for headstones probably functional to indicate the sex of the
deceased inside: column if male, cabin if female
Burial Mound II
60 m (200
feet) in diameter with four tombs from different periods:
TOMBA DELLA
CAPANNA (2)
Early
seventh century BC (Orientalizing period), found in the nineteenth century already
violated. It is among the first fully excavated in tufa stone
The
interior imitates the appearance of the oldest dwelling houses with gabled
ceiling (stramineo) in imitation of
the roof of a hut
TOMB OF DOLII
AND ALARI (3)
Second half
of the seventh century BC
The name
comes from the eleven dolii (big
vases for oil) found here. The plan has clear similarities with that of the
so-called Pompeian house: the main room with a gabled ceiling is preceded by a
small courtyard which gives access to two rooms on the sides of and it is
followed by a room which is also covered by a double sloping roof
In the room
to the right (known as of the Alari)
of the dromos (corridor) an undamaged
kit with pots of Greek-eastern import was found, now in the National Etruscan Museum in Villa Giulia.
They are made out of Egyptian maiolica: one is a female figure, the other in
the shape of a friendly baboon carrying the right hand to his mouth
TOMB OF THE
GREEK VASES (4)
Second half
of the sixth century BC
Here was
found an exceptional series of Attic pottery with black and red figures now at Villa
Giulia
TOMB OF THE
FUNERARY BEDS (5)
Mid-sixth
century BC
Dromos (corridor) with two side small rooms, central
chamber with beds and bedroom in the back with benches
Street of Hell or Street
of the Tombs
Long
stretches of furrows dug by chariots
Burial Mound I
Late
seventh century BC, also known as Mound of the Sarcophagi. Two tombs of ancient
and recent orientalising style:
TOMB OF THE
RELIEFS (6)
Second half
of the fourth century BC
It belonged
to the Matunas family, as it is
possible to read in the inscriptions of the headstone for the men of the family
at the center of the tomb
Formerly known
as Tomba degli Stucchi (Tomb of the
Stuccos) or Tomba Bella (Beautiful
Tomb), with entrance originally flanked by two funerary lions of which remains
only a damaged one
The huge
oak tree is about 400 years old
There are
frescoes on the walls and columns representing everyday objects: on the left
objects of male use, on the right of female use. In the center of the lower
part Cerberus and Charon. Dock with space for 31 holes for
tombs and 13 niches in the walls for urns
TOMB OF THE FRAME (8)
Early sixth
century BC
Cella divided
in thre sections with windows between the doors of the back wall. Projecting cornice
on the walls, two thirds of the height
Tomb of the Small House
(9)
Early sixth
century BC
It was fully
excavated in a large trapezoidal tuffaceous boulder. Rooms shaped as a cross
with arched doors and windows
Sepolcri a dado di Via dei
Monti della Tolfa e Via dei Monti Ceriti
Mid-sixth
century BC, almost entirely rebuilt
Model of
regular urban planning similar to the planning of actual cities
Maroi Burial Mound
Second half
of the seventh century BC, named after the Maroi Countess who subsidized the
excavation
Three
tombs, one of which, the "Maroi 2", was rebuilt with the original kit
at Villa Giulia, where there is
also part of the kit of the "Maroi
3". The "Maroi 1" tomb is open to the public
Polychrome Burial Mound
(11)
Sixth
century BC
Polychrome exterior
with blocks of reddish tuff as well as white stone and lava. There are also polychrome
traces inside with red bands on ceiling and walls
Mengarelli Burial Mound
Second half
of the seventh century BC
One off
tomb with very complex plan. There used to be paintings in orientalizing style
in the vestibule representing animals and vegetables
Mound of the Colonel
Early
seventh century BC
Four tombs
of several periods such as the ones in the Burial Mound II, the oldest of which
has a room with a ceiling imitating the structure of a hut. The kits of tombs 2
and 4 are at Villa Giulia
Tomb of Marce Ursus (10)
End
VI/early fifth century BC
It is included
in a complex of two twin tombs, partly excavated and partly built with square
blocks of tufa. On the back wall of the right room there is an inscription with
the name of the owner of the tomb
Area
outside the fence (North)
TOMBS OF
THE COMMUNE
IV/III
century BC
Five noble
tombs of the Hellenistic period similar in structure and interior layout to the
Tomb of the Reliefs. Located in a dedicated area just west of the fence
Among them the
TOMB OF THE TARQUINI, also known as the Tomb of the Inscriptions, is remarkable:
it is a tomb on two levels in which about 50 inscriptions were found proving
its use for several generations
TOMB OF THE
FIVE CHAIRS
It echoes the
type of internal furnishing with chairs and stools. Here there are, in fact,
five chairs on which there were five statues to welcome the dead in the
afterlife attending a banquet with them
TOMB OF THE
ALCOVE
Fourth century
BC, with a single square chamber
TOMB OF THE
TRICLINIUM
TOMB OF THE
SARCOPHAGI
Area
outside the fence (South)
TOMB OF THE
SHIELDS AND CHAIRS
Six beds
with pillows carved into the tuff that were used for the deposition of the
bodies of men, since women were placed in sarcophagi. Also two chairs in rows
with stools on which were placed two statues in terracotta
TOMB OF THE
LIONS PAINTINGS
MORETTI TOMB
TOMB OF THE
ANIMALS PAINTINGS
TUMULUS OF
THE SHIP
TOMB OF THE
PILLARS
RIPA TOMB
TOMB OF THE
CHAIR
TOMB OF THE
DORIC COLUMNS
Bufaloreccia
Hill
Almost 200
tombs found largely intact in the years 1950/60 by the Lerici Foundations and later
covered up again
They were
built as pits and as rooms, mostly orientalizing and archaic, along with others
dating back to the Hellenistic period
Among
these, the TOMB OF THE WOLF’S TEETH of end of the seventh century BC, shaped as
a rectangular room with painted patterned decoration
Necropolis
of Sorbo
South of
Cerveteri. Archaic burial ground with individual graves for cremation and
inhumation but also with burial mounds
In one of
these there is the REGOLINI-GALASSI TOMB famous for the orientalizing furniture
of the seventh century BC now the Gregorian
Etruscan Museum in the Vatican
Also CALABRESI
TUMULUS
TUMULUS OF
TRIPOD
GIULIMONDI TUMULUS
Necropolis of
Monte Abatone
Tombs
dating back from the last quarter of the eight century BC until the Hellenistic
period
Hundreds of
tombs were identified and then buried again in the plateau covered with
pastures
CAMPANA TOMB
with ceiling imitating a semicircular roof and reproduction of two pieces of wooden
furniture
TOMB OF THE
CHAIRS with small throne carved into the stone
TORLONIA TOMB
two-story with complex architectural structure
MARTINI-MARESCOTTI
TOMB with transversal atrium and two rooms where an exceptional kit was found, now
at Villa Giulia with vases
attributed to Oltos and to the Painter of Priam
Necropolis
of Ripa S. Angelo
Open
underground corridors for tombs on different levels, along the vertical rock
walls, with fake architectural façades
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