Visit Tarquinia
Tarquinia is siuated a little way inland from the Mediterranean coast, north-west of rome in the lazio region.
The city of Tarquinia has a major archaeological heritage, and the whole area pays testimony to the civilization that lived here: the Etruscan “Tarchna”, the Greek and Roman emporium of “Gravisca”, and the medieval “Corneto”. See also history of Tarquinia. The most striking aspect is undoubtedly the Etruscan epoch. The necropolis of 'Monterozzi' dates back to around 3000 years ago and has about 200 painted tombs, which underwent changes over time; as such they testify to the passage of many later inhabitants, including the Greeks, who, passing through the ancient “Gravisca”, also worked in the splendid tombs and left their artistic traces.
Tarquinia Archaeology Museum: The tombs show clear signs of Etruscan daily life; pottery, tools, weapons and ornaments are collected in the Vitelleschi Palace, seat of the Archaeological Museum. On the main floor of the Palace you can admire some of the most famous vessels from the world of archaeology, such as the big bowl called 'Nikosthenes' (fifth century BC) and the amphora 'Phintias' (late sixth century BC). All the artefacts are sorted by type, and include Villanovan marbles, frescoes, jewellery, gold and the famous four graves of "Triclinium", the "Ship", "Chariots" and “Olympics”. Also of particular note is the famous clay group called the "Winged Horses", modelled to look like gold fine pottery, which decorated the pediment of the great temple of “Ara della Regina” [“the Queen’s Altar”] and dates back to IV-III century BC. Built entirely of tufa, it is enriched with decorative pottery and wooden superstructure. Also worth visiting in the cemetery are the graves of the "Warrior", "Hunting", "Fishing", "Lionesses", and "Jugglers"; all featuring stone sculptures in relief on the slabs of the sarcophagus, as in the case of so-called tomb of “Partunu”.
Moving forwards in time, Tarquinia is also the medieval “Cornetum”, which lives on in the medieval buildings with massive towers and churches that emphasize their artistic value. As example, visit the Church of Santa Maria di Castello, built in 1121, which has obvious Lombard and Cosmatesque influences; the oriental Church of St. Giacomo and the "Santissima Annunziata", testifying to the rule of the Byzantines and Arabs.
In the Old Town, Tarquinia shows some Nordic and Renaissance influences in its architecture, such as the Gothic churches of San Pancrazio, San Francis and St. Giovanni of Jerusalem, surrounded by some towers and the imposing Palazzo dei Priori, now seat of the Ceramics Museum. See also, from the Renaissance, some frescoes by Antonio del Massaro da Viterbo (called the "Pasture") [1450-1516] in the choir of the cathedral and others by an unknown author in Vitelleschi Palace.
Tarquinia is today also a seaside resort. The coastal section, which the Etruscans used over the centuries for bringing in, for example, iron from Elba and vases from Corinth, is now called the Lido di Tarquinia (Tarquinia beach). The harbour was once defended by a famous tower called Bertalda, but that no longer exists.
Walking around Tarquinia means touch the many facets of a city that has absorbed all the best of civilizations from the ancient history of Italy, and it is no less the case in the gastronomy of the city, which follows the ancient recipes of the past and is very close to the Roman cuisine. Among the local dishes to try are pasta dishes with nuts; homemade soup with vegetables, bacon and bread; cheese and pepper spaghetti; fettuccine with mushrooms; gnocchi and the homemade strozzapreti.