Necropolis of the Banditaccia

The most famous attraction of Cerveteri is the Necropoli della Banditaccia, which has been declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site together with the necropolis in Tarquinia. It covers an area of 400 hectares (990 acres), of which 10 hectares (25 acres) can be visited, encompassing a total of about 1,000 tombs often housed in characteristic mounds. It is the largest ancient necropolis in the Mediterranean area. The name Banditaccia comes from the leasing (bando) of areas of land to the Cerveteri population by the local landowners.

The tombs date from the 9th century BC (Villanovan culture) to the later Etruscan period (third century BC). The earliest tombs are in the shape of a pit, in which the ashes of the dead were housed; also, simple potholes are present.

The most important tombs include:

• Tomb Regolini-Galassi with rich gold finds from the mid-7th century BC
• Tomb of the capitals (Tomba dei Capitelli), middle 6th century BC
• Tomb of the shields and chairs (Tomba degli Scudi e delle Sedie), middle 6th century BC
• Tomb of the Painted Lions (Tomba dei Leoni dipinti), 620 BC
• Tomb of the Reliefs (Tomba dei Rilievi), 4th – 2nd century BC
• Tomb of the Sea Waves (Tomba delle Onde Marine), 4th–3rd century BC
• Tomb of the Alcove (Tomba dell'Alcova), 4th – 3rd century BC
• Tomba della capanna
• Tomba dei Vasi Greci
• Tomba dei Doli
• Tomba calabresi

From the later Etruscan period are two types of tombs: tumulus-type tombs and the so-called "dice", the latter being simple square tombs built in long rows along roads within the necropolis. The visitable area contains two such roads, the Via dei Monti Ceriti and the Via dei Monti della Tolfa (6th century BC).

The tumuli are circular structures built in tuff, and the interiors, carved from the living rock, house a reconstruction of the house of the dead, including a corridor (dromos), a central hall, and several rooms. Modern knowledge of Etruscan daily life is largely dependent on the numerous decorative details and finds from such tombs. One of the most famous tombs is the Tomb of the Reliefs, identified from an inscription as belonging to the Matuna family and provided with an exceptional series of frescoes, bas-reliefs and sculptures portraying a large series of contemporary life tools.^[10][11]

The most recent tombs date from the 3rd century BC. Some of them are marked by external cippi, which are cylindrical for men, and in the shape of a small house for women.

A large number of finds excavated at Cerveteri are in the National Etruscan Museum, Rome, with others in the Vatican Museums and many other museums around the world. Others, mainly pottery, are in the Archaeological Museum at Cerveteri itself.

Other monuments

• The Rocca ("castle")
• Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, including a medieval section reachable from the 1950s addition through a triumphal arch
• Palazzo Ruspoli, rebuilt as baronial palace by the Orsini in 1533. This now houses the city's museum, the Museo nazionale cerite, with important Etruscan collections, including the Euphronios Krater, returned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The portico and the loggia on the façade are from the 17th century. It is connected to Santa Maria Maggiore through a passetto (enclosed bridge), built in 1760.
• The small church of Sant'Antonio Abate, with a 1472 fresco by Lorenzo da Viterbo
• The medieval burgh of Ceri
• Castle of Cerenova