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Geographical location:
Rome 90km
Grosseto 90km
Viterbo 40km
Tuscania 18km
Sea beach 6km
Bolsena lake 38km
Tarquinia has the greatest Etruscan museum
in the world, with well-preserved sarcophagi, paintings, tombs,
frescoes from the 6th to 1st centuries B.C. and the largest
Etruscan necropolis. The heart of Southern Etruria, Etruscan
capital, mediaeval township, archaeological site of international
fame and an intense cultural life, rises 133m above sea-level
on a plateau from which it scenically overlooks the Marta
River valley and the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Visitors may savour its important traditional heritage, covering
3000 years of history, in its numerous precious archaeological
and mediaeval exhibits and the territory's variegated natural
features: its nearness to the seaside, the Maremma
countryside, the nearby Tolfa and Cimini Mountains
and the view of the  Argentario
Promontory and the island of Giglio.
Strolling through the centre of the town, visitors will come
upon its many charming spots and experience the grandeur of
its towers. Meandering along its narrow streets, unexpectedly
opening out onto large squares embellished by a church façade,
they will arrive at the ancient walls of the town bordering
the soaring cliffside. From this viewpoint the eye can roam
over the suggestive landscape, taking in the merging colours
of the golden wheat fields, the green countryside, and the
different shades of brown of the lands rolling towards the
blue sea.
Tourists may also take in Tarquinia's many Etruscan finds
by visiting the aristocratic Palazzo Vitelleschi, in
itself a masterpiece of Gothic-Renaissance architecture, now
housing the National Museum.
The Etruscan necropolis, just outside the town, includes
the most beautiful and well-preserved tombs of the ancient
world, which bear witness to the cult of the dead of a fascinating
and enigmatic people. They are unique in themselves and only
comparable with the Egyptian tombs.
At the foot of the town, its seaside resort, complete with
urban facilities immersed in the surrounding countryside. |
