Cerveteri and Tarquinia Archaeological Park, a new autonomous institute, goes into operation

The Cerveteri and Tarquinia Archaeological Park, one of the Ministry of Culture’s new autonomous institutes, created in 2021 but in fact only started up in recent days following the appointment and installation of the new director, Vincenzo Bellelli, who was appointed last month, has gone into operation. According to the new director, the Cerveteri and Tarquinia Archaeological Park offers a unique tour itinerary within an archaeological hub of extreme relevance to the Etruscan civilization.

“The Park will include the archaeological areas of the Banditaccia (Cerveteri) and the Montarozzi (Tarquinia), already included by UNESCO in 2004 in the prestigious list of World Heritage of Humanity; in addition to these are two territorial museums well known to scholars of the civilization Etruscan civilization and archaeology enthusiasts, the National Cerite Archaeological Museum and the National Archaeological Museum of Tarquinia,” explains Director Bellelli, “both housed in such prestigious architectural containers as the Rocca Medievale in Cerveteri and Palazzo Vitelleschi in Tarquinia, a jewel of 15th-century Latium architecture.”

According to Bellelli, one of the most interesting implications of the decree establishing the Ministry consists in the fact that “the destinies of two very peculiar and extremely representative archaeological sites , in different ways, of Etruscan civilization are united, one - Cerveteri - characterized by a funerary architecture of the hypogeum/rupestre type, evoking the domestic architecture of the Etruscan cities and disappeared houses, the other - Tarquinia - characterized by an extraordinary series of painted tombs that reflect, at the same time, the daily life and eschatological beliefs of the Etruscans.” Very different, according to Bellelli, “are also the natural landscapes in which the two archaeological areas are immersed: in Cerveteri we have an extraordinary interpenetration between the natural element and the built landscape, marked in a monumental sense by the presence of the tumuli; in Tarquinia, on the other hand, open spaces predominate, in which the painted tombs are interspersed, like buried jewels. For these reasons the two sites are, in fact, different but complementary and offer visitors a unique opportunity to penetrate, through archaeological evidence, into the worldview of the Etruscans.”

Finally, the extremely rich archaeological complexes housed in the two territorial museums complete, according to Bellelli, “a unique visiting itinerary that configures the most important archaeological pole in the world regarding the Etruscan civilization. The creation of the Park therefore represents an extraordinary opportunity for cultural and economic development not only for the two town communities that are fortunate enough to host it, but also for the entire so-called Maremma of Latium. Because of the uniqueness of the treasures it includes, the Cerveteri and Tarquinia Archaeological Park, as UNESCO has already recognized for the Banditaccia and Monterozzi necropolis, is to be considered the heritage of all and a reservoir of universal values.”

“At the Etruscan Necropolis of the Banditaccia in Cerveteri, we presented the fruit of the work done over the past seven years, which has led to the creation, mapping and enhancement of the trail network in the heart of our Unesco site, within the largest archaeological area in the Mediterranean basin,” says Cerveteri Mayor Alessio Pascucci. “Four thematic trails, suitable for families and hikers, for a full immersion in the world of the Etruscans, in which to fully enjoy the archaeological and natural beauty of the Ceriti Mountains, just a stone’s throw from the urban center of our city. Thanks to a long and careful work - for which thanks are due to the Councillor for Territorial Promotion and Sustainable Development Lorenzo Croci, who was able to create an important connection between the Archaeological Superintendence and the volunteer realities of the area - today these routes have been made fully usable. Thanks to digital maps and GPS tracks, which can be downloaded to any smartphone, it will be possible to enjoy the trails safely. The maps of the trails are published on the institutional website of the Municipality of Cerveteri and on Outdoor Active, an international platform among the most widely used in the world by lovers of outdoor activities.”

“With the newly appointed Director of the Cerveteri and Tarquinia Archaeological Park Vincenzo Bellelli, who officially took office on March 1, an excellent and fruitful relationship was immediately established,” the mayor continues. “The use of the Etruscan trails has an extraordinary value for our territory, not only from a tourist point of view, but above all because it marked an important change of step in the conception of protection and respect for the city’s archaeological and artistic heritage. An active, continuous and unceasing commitment of citizens and associations who voluntarily joined forces for the territory and for the protection of their cultural roots. A strong contrast to what unfortunately happened in the past with the sad phenomenon of clandestine excavations. As Administration we are at the complete disposal of Director Bellelli and all those realities that want to make themselves available for the protection and enhancement of the Banditaccia Unesco Site and our artistic and archaeological heritage.”

Pictured: the Banditaccia Necropolis. Photo by Francesco Bini

Cerveteri and Tarquinia Archaeological Park, a new autonomous institute, goes into operation

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