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 necropoleis 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 that 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 File:Banditaccia Tomba Dei Capitelli.jpg|Interior of an Etruscan tomb in the Banditaccia necropolis File:Villa Giulia - Sarcofago degli sposi.jpg|
Sarcophagus of the Spouses (Villa Giulia) File:Acroterio fittile da un tempio di cerveteri, 525-500 ca. ca.JPG|Sculpture from a temple at Caere, 525–500 BC (Altes Museum Berlin) File:Bracciale d'oro, da tomba regolini-galassi di cerveteri, 650 ac ca..JPG|Gold bracelet from the tomb Regolini-Galassi, c. 650 BC The most famous attraction of Cerveteri is the Etruscan 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 , 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) 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; simple potholes are also 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. 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 ==Cerveteri DOC==