Necropolis Banditaccia Museum

Address: Necropolis della Banditaccia, Cerveteri, Viale Traiano, 00052 Cerveteri RM, Italy

Website: http://www.parcocolosseo.it/en/necropolis-banditaccia-cerveteri/ (regional site info / UNESCO listings)

Hours: Daily 9:00am-7:00pm (hours vary seasonally; typical summer schedule extends opening hours).

Admission: Adults approx. €6-€10 (reduced rates for EU citizens, concessions; combined archaeological-site ticket options may be available).

The Necropolis Banditaccia is the large Etruscan cemetery at Cerveteri in Lazio, Italy, and one of the best-preserved examples of Etruscan funerary architecture. The site includes a dense concentration of tombs and funerary monuments dating mainly from the 9th to the 2nd century BCE.

The necropolis covers an extensive area with tombs set along an orthogonal street plan; visitors can walk among earthen tumuli, rock-cut chamber tombs shaped like houses, and decorated burial chambers. Several tombs retain sculpted and painted decoration and reconstructions that illustrate Etruscan burial customs and beliefs about the afterlife.

Many of the larger tombs are accessible or viewable from pathways, including examples with elaborate internal reliefs and bench-lined chambers used for funerary rituals. Interpretive panels and a site museum provide context for the Etruscan city of Caere (modern Cerveteri) that used the necropolis.

The necropolis was created by the inhabitants of the nearby Etruscan city of Caere and used over many centuries from the early Iron Age through the Hellenistic period. Tomb forms and decoration evolved over time from simple pit burials to monumental tumuli and richly appointed chamber tombs.

Located at Cerveteri in the province of Rome, the necropolis sits northwest of central Rome and is easily reached from the town of Cerveteri. The surrounding landscape is a low-lying plateau of cultivated fields and Mediterranean scrub.

• UNESCO status: Inscribed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia” for its outstanding testimony to Etruscan funerary architecture and urban cemetery planning.
• Scale and layout: Contains more than one thousand tombs arranged along a planned street grid, with monuments ranging from low rock-cut chambers to large earthen tumuli.

What to See#

• Tumulus necropoleis: A group of earthen tumuli and circular mounds that date mainly to the 9th through 6th centuries BCE; many contain stone-built chambers and monumental entrances.
• House-type chamber tombs: House-shaped rock-cut tombs and chamber tombs carved to imitate domestic interiors, some with painted plaster and sculpted details from the 6th to 4th centuries BCE.
• Tomb of the Reliefs: Tomb of the Reliefs - a richly decorated chamber tomb notable for sculpted reliefs and interior fittings, dating to the 4th century BCE and one of the most-visited monuments on the site.

The necropolis is about 40 km northwest of Rome. From Rome take the A12 highway toward Civitavecchia, exit around Cerveteri/Canale Monterano, or catch regional trains to nearby stations then local buses or taxis to the site. Cerveteri town centre is a short drive from the necropolis.

• Arrive early to enjoy the tomb-lined avenues in softer light; mid-afternoon can be very bright and contrasty for photography.
• Rent an audio guide or hire a local guide to learn the Etruscan funerary customs and the meaning of tumulus architecture.
• Wear a hat-the necropolis is exposed and can be hot in summer.