The Etruscan cemeteries of Cerveteri and Tarquinia had been on my wishlist for a long time. Unfortunately, they are rather remote, northwest of Rome and poorly accessible by public transport. Actually, they were not on the program for this trip either. But after another look at the map, they seemed just within reach for a day trip from Tuscany. So I thought 'Now or Never!'.

Tarquinia was the main city of the Etruscans. These pre-Roman people lived in central Italy (Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio). More than 6,000 of their tombs have been discovered near Tarquinia, of which 20 are open to the public. They date from the 6th and 5th centuries BC. Most tombs are carved into the rock and were hidden under burial mounds. Now they are covered by stone constructions for protection.

The interior of each of the tombs can be visited. There are staircases that take you down a few meters underground, so you'll end up at eye level with the burial chamber itself. For convenience sake, they have added electric lighting which you can start by pushing a button. The light illuminates the painted walls of the tomb: red and blue are the most common colors. The illustrations are numerous, ranging from banquets to hunting scenes. False doors are also often depicted, meant as access to the afterlife. Only the tombs of the wealthy were painted, about 3%.

The entry fee for the burial monuments (8 EUR) also gives access to the Etruscan archaeological museum. This museum is located in an old palace in the center of Tarquinia, about 4 kilometers away from the tombs. There are three floors of exhibition rooms, all dedicated to the Etruscans. Here you see all kinds of moveable objects that have been found inside the tombs. The dead themselves were placed in sarcophagi, bearing an image of themselves on the cover. Contents of the graves include statues, vases, pots, jewelry and urns. Even ostrich eggs from the Nile Delta were found (a coveted luxury product for the rich).

Forty-five minutes south of Tarquinia lies Cerveteri, another major Etruscan city. The tombs here are located in a kind of park. It encompasses no fewer than 1,000 tombs, some dating back to the 9th century BC. The graves here are still covered under mounds (tumuli), which are overgrown with grass and shrubs.

Except for one couple, I'm the only visitor here on this sunny day in February. I follow the designated walking route along and around the tombs. It's all a bit spooky here. It is also possible to enter the tombs. But these burial chambers aren't painted (anymore). However, some have beautiful stone reliefs. The Tomba dei Relievi for example holds reliefs of animals, carts and tools.

Cerveteri is a real Necropolis - a city for the dead. It looks like La Recoleta (the famous cemetery in Buenos Aires), but with tumuli instead of marble graves. The 'city' has one main road, and there are side streets with smaller, rectangular graves for ordinary people.