Tarquinia

Tarquinia is one of the oldest and most important towns in the Lazio region, located in the territory of the province of Viterbo and only a short distance from the enchanting and extraordinary views of the Bolsena Lake.

The town is situated on a small hill, overlooking the beautiful natural landscape of the Alta Tuscia below and immersed amongst the enchanting valleys of the Marta River and the extraordinary territory of Bassa Maremma and Tuscia Laziale.

The town is custodian of an incredible number of treasures, including very old constructions, ancient palazzi and historic churches; all of which serve as an extraordinary testimony to the past of this town.

In fact, walking down the streets of its historic centre and the necropolises situated in the surrounding countryside, is almost like reliving the history of this amazing territory and provides you with the chance to appreciate monuments that are true gems of art and culture, capturing your attention with their extreme beauty and uniqueness.

Not to miss:

Church of St Maria Valverde: dating back to the 1200’s, it is custodian of some wonderful works of art and paintings, including a striking painting depicting the Madonna, a splendid example of Byzantine art.

Church of St Maria di Castello: the most important religious structure in the town, it was built during the year 1000 in the Romanesque style and is divided into three naves. Inside you can admire splendid mosaics, frescoes and religious paintings, as well as a striking, octagonal shaped baptismal font, built in the 13th century. In 1975 the religious building was recognized for its extraordinary beauty, and historic and cultural importance and is now seen as a national monument.

Church of St. Martino: a Romanesque building located in the historic centre and built during the Middle Ages.

Church of St Salvatore: dating back to the 12th century, it served as an integral part of the  attached monastery of the Canonici di San’Antonio da Vienna (Canonical of St. Antonio of Vienna). The building was then, however, abandoned after the first half of the 17th century and fell into disrepair.

Church of the Annunciation: a wonderful religious construction, built in the 12th century and provides visitors with a structure rich in unique architectonic elements and clear examples of the Norman style.

Church of St. Giacomo: an enchanting religious structure built for the order of the Knights of Malta in a very ancient era. Today the church is characteristic for its simple and sober style.

Church and the Convent of St Francesco: dating back to the 1250’s, it was built as a fantastic religious complex in the Romanesque-gothic style and is extraordinarily rich in architectonic elements. Along with cloisters, the convent hosts, during the summer months, interesting musical and cultural manifestations.

Palazzo del Marchese: an enchanting building of the first years of the Renaissance, which holds elegantly decorated rooms and a courtyard built during the 1400’s.

Palazzo Vitelleschi: built during the 1400’s for Giovanni Vitellesci, who is better known as the “Cardinale di ferro” (Cardinal of steel); the building is both elegant and sober, characteristic for the presence of a fabulous internal courtyard, arches and absolutely wonderful columns.

La Necropoli di Tarquinia (The Necropolises of Tarquinia): a stunning archaeological site of the Etruscan age, housing over 200 painted and decorated tombs and interesting for both its artistic and historic value. The necropolises are also a testament of the important and precious presence of the Etruscan population in Tarquinia.

National Archaeological Museum: an extraordinary display of ruins, funeral urns, arms, instruments, ornaments and tools. The exhibition also attempts to reconstruct the history of the Etruscans in the territory and the development of the very old city of Tarquinia, originally known by the name Corneto.

History:

The city of Tarquinia places its foundations in the very ancient era of the Etruscans and was, from the beginning, an important and relevant centre of the “Dodecapoli,” the Etruscan league of twelve cities. Subsequently the town became part of the Roman Empire and was the location of the origins of the Dinastia dei Re Tarquini (Dynasty of the Tarquini Kings).

From the domination of Rome, the town passed to that of the Goti in the 5th century, under Teodorico, and then became a possession of the Dukedom of Tuscia. During the Middle Ages, Tarquinia was gradually abandoned and a large part of the population moved to a newer settlement known as Corneto; from this time onwards, the new town was almost always ruled by the Papal State before finally passing to the Kingdom of Italy.