Cerveteri
Cerveteri is located close to the Tyrrhenian coast, to the north of Rome, at the foot of the Ceriti mountains, overhanging a tuff spur. There are signs of its existence which date back to the VIII Century BC. It quickly became an important Etruscan town with detriment to Tarquinia.The Greeks established exchange relationships and promoted the development of local artisan techniques.The progress bought about commercial and business organization that was favored by the ports of Alsium (Palo), Pirgy (Santa Severa), Panicum (Santa Marinella).The period during which Caere flourished the most is evidenced by the necropolis. In the year 350 BC the city finally fell under Rome.The castle is the center of medieval Cerveteri and includes part of the Etruscan walls of the IV century BC. The castle was donated to the government by the Ruspali family to host the national museum of Cerveteri, here the burial garments of the tombs are displayed on two floors. In the Etruscan necropolis of Banditaccia there is evidence of how the funeral customs for those of Cerveteri changed through the centuries (VII-I BC), from cremation to burying bodies in underground in well-like tombs, graves and then rooms.Outside the fenced visiting area there are: the burial place for the Chairs and Shields with carved tones and shields, the tomb of the bedroom with a matrimonial burial cell dug into the wall, the tomb of the Tarquini with a memorial stone bearing their name, the tomb of the Triclinium, the tomb of the Sarcophagus, where seven sarcophaguses were found, the tomb of the painted Lions, the tomb of G. Moretti, and the tomb of the Ship.Inside the fenced are there are cinerary urns, the first vault tomb and grave-mounds of the via Sepolcrale.The tomb of the Capitelli open up with a large vestibule where there are two pillars crowned with capitals (VI century BC). The most ancient burial place of the necropolis (dated in the VII century and called Tumulus II) contains 4 axial tombs, which include the tomb of the Shed and the tomb of the Greek Vases.Continuing down the via Sepolcrale one reaches the tomb of the Reliefs or Beautiful tomb (IV century BC): as evidenced by the inscription it belonged to the Matunas family. It consists in a single room with over thirty deposits and shows splendid reliefs in stucco and paint around the walls and on supporting pillars, which give an idea of Etruscan furnishings: knives, ladles, saddlebags, swords, helmets, household animals and objects. The tomb of the Frame (halfway through the VI century BC) is really worth a mention. An entire 'dado' tomb district of the V century BC shows a standard block structure with rectangular façade, corridor, vestibule and two rooms.Nearby: Ladispoli (7 km), famous beach resort. Not far away there is Palo, where there is the turreted Odescalchi castle, immersed in splendid park which now days has been made into a faunistic oasis: a sighting tower in the XII century and a 'castro' in the XIV century, the building was transformed into a fortified noble castle when it became property of the Orsini.Pope Lion X had the castle restored b y Giuliano Leno and Gianfrancesco da Sangallo, to look like a genteel place.The castle then passed to the Odelscalchi who, with a few interventions, have conserved it until today.Nearby it is also possible to see some ruins of a Roman villa, decorated with mosaics of the III century: this is villa 'La Posta' of the eighteenth century.