Necropolis de la Banditaccia

About

A testament to the Etruscan’s urban planning skills, even their graveyards were expertly mapped. This sprawling complex began 3000 years ago when Etruscan society was just beginning to blossom. These early tombs were just small pits where the ashes of the dead were kept. Over the next 600 years, the city expanded, and the tombs became more sophisticated. They transitioned to build burial mounds, often carved out of stone, and even added streets in the 6th century BC. The most important members of society were interred in rows of square tombs along the necropolis’ two main streets. The entire area has been dedicated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since some of the structures represent types of buildings which no longer exist anywhere else. Some tombs are modelled after Etruscan houses, and their frescoed depictions of daily life is a unique testimony to this vanished culture.