Vetulonia – Etruscan History between Museum and Tombs

Vetulonia: Etruscan History in One Place

Vetulonia is a destination for you if you would like to get to know Tuscany through its archaeology, historic buildings and tangible archaeological sites. The local sights combine a compact museum with a National Archaeological Site, monumental tombs and traces of the Etruscan settlement. This makes it possible to plan a stay combining concentrated cultural experiences with walks through the historic landscape.

Museum and Archaeological Orientation

The Museo Civico Archeologico Isidoro Falchi displays Etruscan and Roman finds from excavations in the surrounding archaeological areas. The exhibition is spread across seven rooms on two floors. The museum is equipped with a lift and a tactile floor guidance system. In addition, the Museo Isidoro Falchi offers a series of educational workshops and themed tours for all visitor groups every year. To put the finds into context, the next stop is the excavation sites. The National Archaeological Site of Vetulonia comprises several sites near the modern village and along the Via dei Sepolcri, about 2 km from the village towards Grosseto. The Via dei Sepolcri is an unpaved path that leads downhill to the monumental tombs of Vetulonia. The experiences therefore differ considerably: In the museum, you see finds in an orderly exhibition, while the archaeological sites present their architectural structures at the locations where they were discovered.

Tombs, Houses and City Walls

One of the notable tombs is the Tomba del Belvedere. It dates from the period between the end of the 7th and the 6th century BC and has a square chamber with a short entrance dromos. The Tomba della Pietrera consists of two tombs situated one above the other and is the largest tomb monument in Vetulonia. The Tomba del Diavolino II is accessible via a long, partly open corridor. The settlement itself also provides various historical points of reference. In Costa Murata, a rectangular building is visible that has been identified as a domus with a large atrium and a central cistern. Casa Medea in Poggiarello Renzetti has a courtyard decorated with terracotta slabs depicting a Greek myth. The excavations at Scavi Città uncovered a large part of the Etruscan settlement of Vetulonia, dating from the 3rd century to the middle of the 1st century BC. At the highest point of the city, around 30 metres of the massive Arce walls can be seen.

Historic Traces in the Village and Getting There

The history of Vetulonia also includes the church of Ss. Simone e Giuda and its bell tower. The church was elevated to parish church status in 1334, and the bell tower of Ss. Simone e Giuda was built in 1400. These two dates add medieval architectural elements to the much older Etruscan evidence. A car is preferable for travelling to Vetulonia. Local public transport runs only a few times and is primarily used to transport students to Grosseto. When choosing your starting point, you should therefore bear in mind that local transport connections are geared towards tourist routes only to a limited extent.

Discover more destinations

For your further search, you can also choose Buriano, Punta Ala, Roccamare and Tirli.

Back to the overarching travel overview: Castiglione Della Pescaia.