Present day Cerveteri is not the most beautiful town in the Lazio region. It still is an important tourist destination, however, thanks to the ancient Etruscan Necropolis located near the city.
Cerveteri city guide
Useful information
Tourist office: There is a tourist information kiosk in the Piazza Aldo Moro, 1. Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday from 09:30 till 12:30 (all year) and from 17:00 till 19:00 (June to September); Sundays from 10:00 till 13:00; Mondays closed.
Public transport: The Ladispoli-Ceveteri railway station is located in the adjacent city of Ladispoli. A bus takes you from here to Cerveteri itself. From the Cornelia metro station in Rome, you can take a Co.Tra.L bus to Cerveteri. From the center it is a 30 minute walk to the excavations.
A brief history of Cerveteri
The archeological site is very old, dating from between the 7th and 3rd centuries B.C. Of the cities and dwellings of the Etruscans is not that much left, but many of the burial places have survived the centuries and it can be an eerie experience to wander around in the excavated tombs of the Necropolis.
In Etruscan times Cerveteri was known as Kaisra, but under the Romans it came to be called Caere Vetus.
Cerveteri tourist attractions
- Banditaccia Necropolis: Tombs of different kinds and of different periods. Often very dark inside. Many have stone beds, with pillows likewise carved out of stone. Some have no decoration whatsoever, some have been painted. The Necropolis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Etruscan Museum: Art, artefacts and contents of some of the tombs. It needs to be noted that the collection of the Etruscan Museum in Rome itself is far more extensive.
Suburbs of Cerveteri
Cerveteri consits of 8 so-called frazioni: Campo di Mare – Cerenova – Ceri – Cerqueto – Marina di Cerveteri – Sasso – Stazione di Furbara – Valcanneto.
Hotel accommodation
- A recommended hotel in Cerveteri is the Hotel L’Isola di Rosa, an elegant country hotel with annexed restaurant.