Tarquinia, the Lazio region’s ancient Etruscan city and just 50 minutes from Rome, is also a charming medieval town.
Palazzo Vitelleschi is a national museum
As well as its Etruscan art and interesting old centre, it has popular beaches and is only 50 minutes from Rome’s Fiumicino international airport, and 15 minutes from Civitavecchia, the port of call for cruise ships visiting the Eternal City. To get an idea of the magnitude and artistic refinement of the Etruscan period, visits must include the ancient Necropolis and Tarquinia’s National Archaeological Museum in the Renaissance Palazzo Vitelleschi. The museum on three floors, contains the largest collection of Etruscan art in the world and also has many remarkable finds from other eras.
The Winged Horses of Tarquinia
The piece de resistance is the group of two Winged Horses dating back to the 4th century B.C., found near the remains of the Etruscan Altar of the Queen Temple. The horses are drawing a chariot (alas this was not found) and when brought to light in 1938 by the archaeologist Pietro Romanelli, it was fragmented into one hundred shards, before being magnificently restored.
The Etruscans lived between Lazio and Tuscany
The 200 depicted tombs and frescoes in the Monterozzi Necropolis are the only example of major pre-Roman artwork in the Mediterranean basin. They also open a window on the Etruscan people who created the western Mediterrean’s first urban culture, between Lazio and Tuscany, between the 8th to the 1st century B.C. The necropolis has been known for centuries and Michelangelo visited it, as can be seen in his sketch in the Buonarroti Archives. The Barriera di San Giusto gate, the ancient entrance to the town, leads to Piazza Cavour with Palazzo Vitelleschi and to the Piazza del Duomo where you can admire the Cathedral with its majestic bell tower.
Lazio’s only salt pans attract flamingoes
Not far from the town the Natural Salt Pans Reserve is an extremely important natural site. These are the only salt pans in the Lazio region and one of the few left on the Italian coast, and this lagoon welcomes a large number of migratory birds including pink flamingoes, egrets and herons, making it a must for nature lovers, birdwatchers and photographers.
Beautiful sandy beaches and water sports
Tarquinia has some charming beaches like Lido di Tarquinia, which is just 10 minutes away from the city center and is popular for surfing, windsurfing and sailing. Marina Velca is a small beach some four kilometers to the north of the Lido, and Riva dei Tarquini is a beautiful stretch of coast just north of Marina Velca. One special favourite is the soft golden-sand beach of Bagni di Sant'Agostino which is famous for its dunes and pine forests.
For information: https://tarquiniaturismo.com
