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Comune di Cerveteri
Municipal coat of arms
Country	Italy
Region	Lazio
Province	Rome
Mayor	Antonio Brazzini (since June 2003)
Elevation	81 m
Area	134 km²
Population
- Total (as of 2004-12-31)	32,066
- Density	199/km²
Time zone	CET, UTC+1
Coordinates	42°00′N 12°06′E
Gentilic	Cerveterani
Dialing code	06
Postal code	00052
Frazioni	Sasso, Ceri, Valcanneto, Marina di Cerveteri, Cerenova, Campo di mare, San Martino, I Terzi, Due Casette
Patron	St. Michael Archangel
- Day	May 8
Website: www.comune.cerveteri.rm.it

Etruscan Necropoleis of Cerveteri and Tarquinia¹
UNESCO World Heritage Site

State Party	Italy
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, iii, iv
Identification	#1158
Region2	Europe and North America
Inscription History
Formal Inscription:	2004 28th WH Committee Session
WH link:	http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1158
1 Name as officially inscribed on the WH List 2 As classified officially by UNESCO

Cerveteri is a town and comune of the northern Lazio, in the province of Rome. Originally known as Caere, it is famous for a number of Etruscan necropoleis that include some of the best Etruscan tombs anywhere.

Contents 1 Main sights 1.1 Necropolis of the Banditaccia 1.2 Others 2 Twin cities

The most famous attraction of Cerveteri is the Necropoli della Banditaccia, which has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site together with the necropoleis in Tarquinia. It covers an area of 400 ha, of which 10 ha can be visited, encompassing a total of 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 late Etruscan age (3rd century BC). The most ancient ones are in the shape of a pit, in which the ashes of the dead were housed; also simple potholes are present.

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

The mounds are circular structures built in tufa, 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 is largely dependent on the numerous decorative details and finds from such tombs. The most famous of these mounds is the so-called Tomba dei Rilievi (Tomb of the Reliefs, 4th century BC), identified from an inscripton as belonging to one Matunas and provided with an exceptional series of frescoes, bas-reliefs and sculptures portraying a large series of contemporary life tools.

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.

Most finds excavated at Cerveteri necropolis are currently housed in the National Etruscan Museum, Rome. Others are in the Archaeological Museum at Cerveteri itself.

• 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 baronal palace by the Orsini in 1533. 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

• Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany
• Livry-Gargan, France
• Almuñécar, Spain