The Banditaccia Necropolis: the “city of the dead” that tells the Etruscans

Just a few minutes from Villa La Giulia lies one of the most fascinating places in the ancient Mediterranean: the Banditaccia Necropolis in Cerveteri, inscribed in 2004 on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with Tarquinia. It’s renowned because the layout of the tombs mirrors a real town, with streets, blocks, and small squares carved into tuff. 

Why it’s special

Banditaccia spans more than a millennium, from the Villanovan beginnings in the 9th century BCE to the Hellenistic–Roman period. You can see the evolution of burial types: the earliest are shaft or pit graves; from the 7th century BCE onward appear large tumuli with chambers hewn in the tuff and sculpted like true houses; between the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, “cube” tombs line up along regular road grids. Many interiors imitate Etruscan domestic architecture, giving a unique glimpse into everyday life. 

What not to miss

• Tumuli – Grassy domes covering multiple chambers connected by corridors (dromoi). Entering feels like stepping into an Etruscan home carved from rock.
  
  

• “Cube” tombs – Regular blocks facing parallel lanes that give the necropolis the look of an ancient neighborhood.
  
  

• Tomb of the Reliefs (4th–3rd c. BCE) – A masterpiece whose interior is decorated with painted stucco reliefs of household utensils, cups, tools, and weapons hanging from pillars—an immersive snapshot of an Etruscan aristocratic family.
  
  

The Via degli Inferi: from the world of the living to that of the dead

A signature route is the Via degli Inferi, an ancient sunken road cut into tuff that linked the settlement (ancient Caere) with the necropolis. Today it’s a scenic walk: high walls of rock dotted with funerary openings lead you toward the main burial area. 

Pair your visit: the National Cerite Archaeological Museum

To round out the experience, stop by the Museo Archeologico Nazionale Cerite (in the Ruspoli Castle, in the historic center), where artifacts from Cerveteri’s necropoleis—grave goods, ceramics, sculpture—help decode what you’ve just seen among the tumuli. 

Practical tips

• Hours & tickets – Check up-to-date information on the official site of the Parco Archeologico di Cerveteri e Tarquinia (MiC) ; guided thematic tours are also available at times.
  
  

• What to wear – Comfortable shoes; in summer, hat and water. Paths are mostly outdoors.
  
  

• For families – Kids love the house-like reconstructions; explain that the deceased were accompanied by everyday objects—this makes the Tomb of the Reliefs decorations click.
  
  

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A perfect outing from Villa La Giulia

Whether you’re into archaeology or simply curious, Banditaccia is an immersive experience: you stroll among tuff hills and shaded paths, step into rooms carved like living rooms, and follow the ancient Via degli Inferi into the “city of the dead.” A journey through time, just a stone’s throw from our villa, that pairs beautifully with a walk in Cerveteri’s old town and a visit to the museum. 

Further reading: UNESCO listing; Parco Archeologico (official); info on the Via degli Inferi and the Tomb of the Reliefs.