Cerveteri () is a town and ''
comune
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
'' of northern
Lazio
it, Laziale
, population_note =
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, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
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in the region of the
Metropolitan City of Rome. Known by the ancient Romans as
Caere
:
Caere (also Caisra and Cisra) is the Latin name given by the Romans to one of the larger cities of southern Etruria, the modern Cerveteri, approximately 50–60 kilometres north-northwest of Rome. To the Etruscans it was known as Cisra, t ...
, and previously by the
Etruscans
The Etruscan civilization () was developed by a people of Etruria in ancient Italy with a common language and culture who formed a federation of city-states. After conquering adjacent lands, its territory covered, at its greatest extent, rou ...
as Caisra or Cisra, and as Agylla (or ) by the
Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
, its modern name derives from Caere Vetus used in the 13th century to distinguish it from Caere Novum (the current town).
It is the site of the ancient Etruscan city which was one of the most important Etruscan cities with an area more than 15 times larger than today's town.
Caere was one of the
city-state
A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...
s of the
Etruscan League
The Etruscan civilization () was developed by a people of Etruria in ancient Italy with a common language and culture who formed a federation of city-states. After conquering adjacent lands, its territory covered, at its greatest extent, roug ...
and at its height, around 600 BC, its population was perhaps around 25,000 – 40,000 people.
Site
The ancient city was situated about 7 km from the sea, a location which made it a wealthy trading town derived originally from the iron-ore mines in the
Tolfa Hills.
[Karl-Wilhelm Weber: Geschichte der Etrusker, Berlin, Köln, Mainz 1979, , S. 38]
It had three sea ports including
Pyrgi
Pyrgi (''Pyrgus'' in Etruscan) was originally an ancient Etruscan town and port in Latium, central Italy, to the north-west of Caere. Its location is now occupied by the borough of Santa Severa. It is notable for the discovery here of the g ...
, connected to Caere by a road about 13 km long and 10 m wide, and Punicum.
Pyrgi was also known for its sanctuary of monumental temples from 510 BC, built by the king of Caere and dedicated to the goddesses
Leucothea
In Greek mythology, Leucothea (; grc-gre, Λευκοθέα, Leukothéa, white goddess), sometimes also called Leucothoe ( grc-gre, Λευκοθόη, Leukothóē), was one of the aspects under which an ancient sea goddess was recognized, in this ...
and
Ilithyia
Eileithyia or Ilithyiae or Ilithyia (; grc-gre, Εἰλείθυια; (''Eleuthyia'') in Crete, also (''Eleuthia'') or (''Elysia'') in Laconia and Messene, and (''Eleuthō'') in literature)Nilsson Vol I, p. 313 was the Greek goddess of chi ...
, of which several sculptures are exhibited at the
Villa Giulia
The Villa Giulia is a villa in Rome, Italy. It was built by Pope Julius III in 1551–1553 on what was then the edge of the city. Today it is publicly owned, and houses the Museo Nazionale Etrusco, a collection of Etruscan art and artifacts.
...
.
History
Monuments
![Acroterio fittile da un tempio di cerveteri, 525-500 ca](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Acroterio_fittile_da_un_tempio_di_cerveteri%2C_525-500_ca._ca.JPG)
Little is known of the ancient city, although six temples are known from various sources. Two of them have been excavated, one of Hera, the other in the north of the city. Parts of the city walls are still visible today and excavations opened up a theatre. Three necropolis were found. The contents of the tombs were excavated, often chaotically and illegally; over the last few centuries, they have yielded rich and exquisite objects, including ceramics and jewellery which today grace many of the world's museums. One famous and important work of art is the
Sarcophagus of the Spouses.
Necropolis of the Banditaccia
The most famous attraction of Cerveteri is the Necropoli della Banditaccia, which has been declared by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
as a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
together with the necropolis in
Tarquinia
Tarquinia (), formerly Corneto, is an old city in the province of Viterbo, Lazio, Central Italy, known chiefly for its ancient Etruscan tombs in the widespread necropoleis, or cemeteries, for which it was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status ...
. It covers an area of , of which 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
The Villanovan culture (c. 900–700 BC), regarded as the earliest phase of the Etruscan civilization, was the earliest Iron Age culture of Italy. It directly followed the Bronze Age Proto-Villanovan culture which branched off from the Urnfiel ...
) 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
The Monti della Tolfa (or Tolfa Mountains) are a volcanic group in the Anti-Apennines of the northern part of the Lazio region of Central Italy. They are bounded by the Tyrrhenian Sea coast to the west, by the Monti Sabatini to the east, and by t ...
(6th century BC).
The tumuli are circular structures built in
tuff
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock ...
, 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.
The most recent tombs date from the 3rd century BC. Some of them are marked by external
cippi
A (plural: ''cippi''; "pointed pole") is a low, round or rectangular pedestal set up by the Ancient Romans for purposes such as a milestone or a boundary post. They were also used for somewhat differing purposes by the Etruscans and Carthaginians ...
, 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
The National Etruscan Museum ( it, Museo Nazionale Etrusco) is a museum of the Etruscan civilization, housed in the Villa Giulia in Rome, Italy.
History
The villa was built for Pope Julius III, for whom it was named. It remained in papal prope ...
,
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, with others in the
Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums ( it, Musei Vaticani; la, Musea Vaticana) are the public museums of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of ...
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
The House of Ruspoli is historically one of the great aristocratic families of Rome, but is originally from Florence. Following World War II and the fall of Fascism, the newly established Italian Republic officially abolished titles and hereditary ...
'', rebuilt as baronial palace by the
Orsini Orsini is a surname of Italian origin, originally derived from Latin ''ursinus'' ("bearlike") and originating as an epithet or sobriquet describing the name-bearer's purported strength. Notable people with the surname include the following:
*Angel ...
in 1533. The portico and the
loggia
In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior gallery or corridor, usually on an upper level, but sometimes on the ground level of a building. The outer wall is open to the elements, usually supported by a series of columns ...
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
Cerenova is a coastal locality that along with the adjacent Campo di Mare makes up the Marina di Cerveteri frazione of the comune of Cerveteri.
It is located on the via Aurelia around 40 km north of Rome (Italy).
Cerenova borders Ladispoli ...
Cerveteri DOC
Around the city of Cerveteri is an
Italian DOC wine
The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine:
* ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”),
* ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...
region that produces red and white blended wines. The red wines are blends of 60%
Sangiovese
Sangiovese (, also , , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin ''sanguis Jovis'', "the blood of Jupiter". Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grape ...
and
Montepulciano
Montepulciano () is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and ''comune'' in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany. It sits high on a limestone ridge, east of Pienza, southeast of Siena, southeast of Florence, and north of Rome b ...
, 25%
Cesanese and up to 30% of
Canaiolo
Canaiolo (; also called Canaiolo nero or Uva Canina) is a red Italian wine grape grown through Central Italy but is most noted in Tuscany. Other regions with plantings of Canaiolo include Lazio, Marche and Sardegna. In Umbria a white ber ...
,
Carignan
Carignan (also known as Mazuelo, Bovale Grande, Cariñena, Carinyena, Samsó, Carignane, and Carignano) is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Mediterra ...
and
Barbera
Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy (after Sangiovese and Montepulciano). It produces good yields and is known for deep color, full body, low tannins and high level ...
. The grapes are limited to a
harvest yield of 15 tonnes/ha and the final wine must have a minimum
alcohol level
Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a volume percent). It is defined as the number of millilitres (mL) o ...
of 11%. The white wines are composed of a minimum blend of 50%
Trebbiano Romagnolo and
Giallo
In Italian cinema, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of mystery fiction and thrillers that often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, ...
, a maximum of 35%
Malvasia di Candia
Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. I ...
and a maximum of 15%
Friulano,
Verdicchio
Verdicchio (, also , ) is a white Italian wine grape variety grown primarily in the Marche region of central Italy.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' pg 195 Oxford University Press 1996 The name ''Verdicchio'' derives from ' ...
,
Bellone
Bellone is a white Italian wine grape variety that wine historians believed was cultivated in Roman times. By 1990, nearly of the variety was still being cultivated and eligible to be blended in the wines of several Latium ''Denominazione di ori ...
and
Bombino bianco
Bombino bianco is a white Italian wine grape variety planted primarily along Italy's Adriatic coast line, most notably in Apulia. The vine is prone to high yields and often produces neutral flavor wines.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Wine ...
. The grapes are limited to a harvest yield of 14 tonnes/ha and the final wine must have a minimum alcohol level of 12%.
[P. Saunders, ''Wine Label Language'', pg 137 Firefly Books 2004 ]
Ancient bishopric
For the ancient bishopric that originally had its seat in Cerveteri and is now a
titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbis ...
, see
Caere
:
Caere (also Caisra and Cisra) is the Latin name given by the Romans to one of the larger cities of southern Etruria, the modern Cerveteri, approximately 50–60 kilometres north-northwest of Rome. To the Etruscans it was known as Cisra, t ...
.
In popular culture
The Necropolis of the Banditaccia was featured in the 1976 film
The Omen
''The Omen'' is a 1976 supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, it stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Spen ...
as the burial site for the jackal birth mother of the
antichrist
In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form)1 John ; . 2 John . ...
.
Twin cities
*
Fürstenfeldbruck,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
*
Livry-Gargan
Livry-Gargan () is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
History
On 20 May, 1869, a part of the territory of Livry-Gargan was detached and merged with a part of the territory of Clich ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
*
Almuñécar
Almuñécar () is a Spanish city and municipality located in the southwestern part of the comarca of the Costa Granadina, in the province of Granada. It is located on the shores of the Mediterranean sea and borders the Granadin municipalities of ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
*
Lankaran
Lankaran ( az, Lənkəran, ) is a city in Azerbaijan, on the coast of the Caspian Sea, near the southern border with Iran. As of 2021, the city had a population of 89,300. It is next to, but independent of, Lankaran District. The city forms a dis ...
,
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...
References
Further reading
*Drago Troccoli, Luciana. 2006. ''Cerveteri.'' Rome: Istituto Poligrafico.
*Izzet, Vedia E. 2000. "The Etruscan sanctuary at Cerveteri, Sant’Antonio: Preliminary report of excavations 1995–8." ''Papers of the British School at Rome'' 62: 321–35.
*Moretti, Mario. 1978. ''Cerveteri.'' Novara, Italy: Istituto Geografico de Agostini.
*Pallottino, Massimo. 1957. ''The necropolis of Cerveteri.'' Rome: Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato.
External links
*
{{Coord, 42, 00, N, 12, 06, E, display=title
Cities and towns in Lazio
World Heritage Sites in Italy
Etruscan tombs
Etruscan cities
Villanovan culture