Introductory Comments
Both of these Etruscan tomb sites are located in Lazio and could become day trips from Rome. The Cerveteri necropolis is 2 kilometers outside town. 50,000 Etruscans were buried there from the 7th to 1st centuries BCE and an extensive network of streets remains. The small Museo Nazionale Cerite is in the center of town. The medieval center of Tarquinia was once a capital of Etruria. The hilltop Necropolis of Monterozzi is 2 kilometers southeast of town. There are some 6,000 tombs there but only a selection few can be visited -- these feature colorful frescoes. The Museo Nazionale Tarquiniense itself is highlighted in guidebooks as one of Italy's best collection of Etruscan art and artifacts.
Useful Websites
Accommodations
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Touring Information
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Transportation
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Tarquinia seems somewhat more accessible. Trains run hourly from Rome's Termini and Ostiense stations to Tarquinia (20 minutes - hour-long trip). The train station is 2 kilometers below the town center but there are regular local shuttles available. The train station for Cerveteri is 7 kilometers away at Ladispoli, though there is a bus that goes to Cerveteri from Rome's Cornelia station every half-hour.
Miscellaneous
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