Tarquinia

1. The Etruscan necropolis of Monterozzi :

Visit the Necropolis of Tarquinia it is undoubtedly the best way to know the greatness and at the same time the artistic refinement of the Etruscan people.

With over 200 painted tombs, the frescoes of the Monterozzi Necropolis they represent the largest existing pictorial nucleus of Etruscan art and at the same time the most important document of all ancient painting before the Roman imperial age.

The use of decorating the tombs of aristocratic families is also documented in other centers of Etruria, but only in Tarquinia has the phenomenon taken on these dimensions: magical-religious scenes depicting funeral banquets, dancers, players and jugglers, all represented with harmonious movements and bright colors.

I am an example of this Tomb of the Leopards, of the Lionesses, of the Warrior, of the Hunt And of Fishing, of the Hunter, of the Cardarelli, of the Fior di Loto and many others.

2. The National Etruscan Museum of Tarquinia:

In itself, the Vitelleschi Palace is worth a visit!

Made by the will of Cardinal Giovanni Vitelleschi between 1436 and 1439 on a project by Giovanni Dalmata, thanks to the coexistence of Gothic and Renaissance elements it is an authentic architectural masterpiece.

Inside, the exhibition is on three floors and contains the largest collection of Etruscan art in existence. Sarcophagi, vases, buccheri, plates, ceramics, statues and ancient coins are just some of the important works that you can admire inside the museum.

The most significant work, the very symbol of museum is undoubtedly the famous high relief of the Cavali Alati, recovered in the ruins of temple of the Ara of the Queen.

Datable between the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 4th century BC, this slab was found by the archaeologist Pietro Romanelli, fragmented into one hundred parts.

The first restoration, entrusted to Augusto Falessi, allowed for the exhibition only six months after its discovery (1938) but thanks to numerous other restorations, today we can finally admire this work unique in the world in all its splendor, also enhanced on the exhibition level, with the recent relocation to the original room.

3. The historic center and the medieval churches:

A pleasant walk through the alleys of the Historic Center of Tarquinia, will take you back in time in one magical medieval atmosphere among churches, monuments and historic buildings.

Starting from the Barriera di San Giusto, ancient access to the city, you will immediately find yourself in Piazza Cavour with the Renaissance Vitelleschi Palace, headquarters of the Etruscan Museum. On your left Via G. Mazzini will lead you in Piazza del Duomo where you can admire the wonderful Cathedral of Santa Margherita with its majestic bell tower. Continuing in Via Porta di Castello you will reach the splendid Santa Maria di Castello Church, to which we have dedicated a separate paragraph.

Take a look at the overview Via della Ripa and take Via delle Torri overlooked by beautiful historic buildings such as the Priory palace and the Church of the Holy Spirit. Pause for a moment also in Piazza di Santo Stefano where in addition to the Barucci Tower there is the ancient wash house.

At the intersection with Via San Pancrazio you will find yourself in a small square where the namesake stands Church of San Pancrazio, la Tower of the Magistrate and the wonderful Castelleschi Palace while embarking on Via di San Martino you will find the homonymous church, the oldest in the city.

Continue along Via San Pancrazio until the intersection with Via dell'Orfanotrofio and you will find yourself in the center, in Giacomo Matteotti Square where is the Palazzo Comunale, the monumental eighteenth-century fountain, the Church of San Leonardo and the Church of the Suffragio.

Finally from Via di Porta Tarquinia reach the beautiful Church and convent of San Francesco or reach Piazza San Giovanni, where you can visit the Romanesque church of San Giovanni Gerosolimitano.

4. The Torrione di Matilda di Canossa and the Church of Santa Maria in Castello:

chiesa_di_s.maria_in_castello_facciata_o

The splendid church Romanesque church of Santa Maria in Castello is located in the oldest area of Tarquinia, in the place where the Castrum Cargnetum, the original nucleus of the ancient Corneto.

To reach it, you have to go Via di Porta Castello, cross the ancient gate with the Dante Tower and the Matilde di Canossa Tower on background. A few steps to be catapulted back 1000 years!

The atmosphere here is simply magical, especially at night when the streets are illuminated only by the light of the street lamps ... the ideal place for a romantic walk through history.

5. The Cathedral of Tarquinia:

The Cathedral of Saints Margherita and Martino, built around 1260, is located in the homonymous square a few steps from the Vitelleschi Palace and is part of the diocese of Civitavecchia and Tarquinia.

Raised to the status of Cathedral on 5 December 1435, in the 15th century the cathedral was enlarged at the behest of the Bishop Bartolomeo Vitelleschi only to be unfortunately destroyed in 1643 by a terrible fire.

Rebuilt in a short time, the Duomo was again restored in the nineteenth century in one neoclassical style according to the project of Francesco Dasti and expanded with the addition of nine altars.

Externally, the facade it is preceded by a staircase and flanked on the left by the bell tower. In the lower part there are three portals, while in the upper one, ending with a triangular-shaped tympanum, there is a mullioned window flanked by statues of the two saints.

The interior, divided into three naves, preserves in the presbytery elements of the structure prior to the fire. Among the most beautiful works kept inside you can admire the frescoes of the choir performed by Antonio from Viterbo, called the Pastura (16th century), depicting the Stories of the Virgin.

6. The ancient Gravisca (Porto Clementino):

Along the coast, between the mouth of the Marta river and the Saline Reserve to the south, it is located the archaeological area of Gravisca, an ancient Etruscan port, an area now known as Porto Clementino, in honor of Pope Clement XIII who had it restored in the 1700s.

Before the colonization by the Romans, who renamed the town with the name of Gravisca, this seaport was very popular with foreign merchants, mostly from Asia Minor.

At the southern edge of the Etruscan center, in fact, traces of the so-called Greek Sanctuary of Gravisca. Founded between 600 BC and 580 BC, the sanctuary quickly assumed the functions of emporion, that is a center of commercial exchanges with functions including religious ones. There were revered Hera, Aphrodite and Demeter in their Etruscan equivalents: Ura, Vei and Tura respectively.

Between most significant finds found in the sanctuary, there is certainly the kantharos of Exechias, valuable Attic pottery of the sixth century BC together with a dedication to Apollo Egineta made by the merchant Sostratos of Aegina, which testifies how much the contacts with the eastern Mediterranean and the Greek world were alive.

7. The Saline di Tarquinia Nature Reserve:

Located close to the coast of the ancient Etruscan city, the Saline Nature Reserve of Tarquinia it's a naturalistic site of extreme importance, being the only salt pan in Lazio and one of the few remaining along the entire Italian coast.

Extended for 150 hectares, of which about 100 are represented by a coastal lagoon, the site welcomes many species of sedentary and migratory birds among which the pink flamingo, the Little Egret, the gray heron, the knight of Italy, the coral gull, the white heron and many others. It is also possible to do others nice encounters with specimens of Fox, Porcupine, Nutria, Porcupine, Squirrel and Common Tortoise.

Perfect place for photographers and lovers of bird watching le Saline are managed by Command of the Carabinieri Forestry, Environmental and Agri-food Protection Unit and I'm they can be visited all year round by booking. To book a guided tour, call the number +39 0766 864605 or write an email to pf.salineditarquinia@forestale.carabinieri.it

If you are also looking for a little relaxation, close to the Nature Reserve, there is also one free beach about 4 km long.