The name of this necropolis comes from the past conversion of Etruscan tombs into shelters for pigs. Located along the Via Clodia, at the point where it crosses the Fosso Grignano, the Grotta Porcina necropolis (7th\u20133rd century BC) consists of numerous pit tombs, an imposing mound with an access bridge to the top, an immense chamber tomb with a coffered ceiling, and several simple chamber tombs with a central beam and lateral depositions.<\/p>\n
The main monument is a large circular mound (first half of the 6th century BC), carved by cutting into a high tuff spur, which houses a three-chamber tomb: the first with a ceiling featuring regular coffered relief; the second with a portal decorated in red relief, a gabled ceiling with a faux columen, and a 15-meter-deep rectangular shaft; the third with the same rectangular shaft. Nearby are other chamber tombs, one of which features a characteristic coffered gabled ceiling.<\/p>\n
In the valley below, enclosed in a fenced area and covered by a protective roof, lies an imposing cylindrical rock altar (5.8 m in diameter) with orientalizing-style bas-relief decorations depicting animals. On the sides, steps for spectators are visible: according to E. Colonna Di Paola, the complex \u2014 dating back to the first half of the 6th century BC \u2014 can be considered “the oldest known theater in Italy,” although linked to funerary worship. Nearby, there is also a Hellenistic aedicule in the shape of a half-cube and, following the Fosso Grignano, a small Temple (late 6th\u2013early 5th century BC) destroyed by a fire in the 3rd century BC.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","location_type":[128],"target_type":[122],"class_list":["post-846","location","type-location","status-publish","hentry","location_type-rock-cut-architecture","target_type-everyone"],"acf":{"is_featured":false,"additional_information":"","related_locations":[{"ID":1069,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2026-04-28 15:17:38","post_date_gmt":"2026-04-28 13:17:38","post_content":"The Etruscan necropolis of Cerracchio (6th\u20133rd century BC) developed along the path of a branch of the Via Clodia coming from nearby Grotta Porcina, and served a small rural satellite center of Blera. The burial ground extends across the Rio Secco and Fosso delle Dogane valleys, featuring a wide variety of tomb types.\r\n\r\nThe site's use is documented as far back as the late Villanovan period (8th century BC), with shaft and pit tombs on the surrounding plateaus. The Archaic period (6th\u2013mid-5th century BC) marks the peak of its prosperity: the burial styles \u2014 single-chamber tombs with two or three benches and semi-cube tombs \u2014 reveal the influence of Caeretan funerary architecture typical of inland southern Etruria.\r\n\r\nDuring the Hellenistic period (late 4th\u20132nd century BC), the practice of cremation spread and new tomb types appeared: hypogeum chamber tombs with or without false doors on the facade, hypogeum tombs with sarcophagi, and small-chamber or loculus tombs. Also significant is the presence of 17 simple niches and aedicules with niches on the facade. The location of the settlement remains uncertain: the most widely accepted hypothesis places it on the plateau north of the Aurelia Bis, where the opening of a tuff quarry has destroyed all traces of it.","post_title":"Etruscan Necropolis of Cerracchio","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"etruscan-necropolis-of-cerracchio","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2026-05-01 11:04:53","post_modified_gmt":"2026-05-01 09:04:53","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/vetrallaturismo.ai4smartcity.ai\/punto-di-interesse\/necropoli-etrusca-del-cerracchio\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"location","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1072,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2026-04-28 15:15:23","post_date_gmt":"2026-04-28 13:15:23","post_content":"Human presence in Norchia has been documented since the Neolithic age and especially from the Bronze Age. Located in the municipality of Viterbo but accessible only from Vetralla, the site reached its peak development between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC, coinciding with the expansion of nearby Tarquinia and later Rome. At the end of the 1st century BC, Norchia was annexed to the municipium of Tarquinia. Between the 10th and 11th centuries, Pope Adrian IV built a fortification there with walls, towers, and a castle, which later became the property of the Prefetti di Vico and was abandoned in 1435.\r\n\r\nThe numerous rock-cut necropolises spread across the valleys of the Pile, Acqualta, and Biedano. Along the Pile valley, accessible from Pian delle Vigne, there are series of semi-cube tombs distributed over two or three levels of tuff terraces, including the Ciarlanti Tomb, the Chimney Tomb, and the Prostyle Tomb (4th century BC), as well as the famous Tomb of the Three Heads, featuring three protomes on the lintel of the false door. Going up the Fosso Acqualta, you reach an area incredibly rich in tombs, where two extraordinary side-by-side Temple Tombs stand out\u2014a typology found in Italy only in Sovana\u2014dating back to the early 3rd century BC, with pediments sculpted with figures. In the Biedano area, you can find the Lattanzi Tomb (late 4th century BC), with a two-story facade and portico, and the Smurinas Tombs group.\r\n\r\nOf the medieval village, inhabited until the 14th century, there remain the arched medieval Gate with its wall-walk and loopholes, and the Parish Church of S. Pietro (12th century), rebuilt using Roman materials, featuring two early medieval tombs carved into the tuff around the apse. The Via Clodia crosses the site and continues toward Tuscania through the great cutting known as Cava Buia, about 10 m deep and 400 m long, with medieval inscriptions on the walls.","post_title":"Rock-cut Necropolis of Norchia","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"rock-cut-necropolis-of-norchia","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2026-05-01 11:13:19","post_modified_gmt":"2026-05-01 09:13:19","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/vetrallaturismo.ai4smartcity.ai\/punto-di-interesse\/necropoli-rupestre-di-norchia\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"location","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"short_description":"A 5.8-meter cylindrical rock altar, Etruscan tombs carved into the tuff, and perhaps the oldest theater in Italy: Grotta Porcina is a hidden gem along the Via Clodia to be discovered amidst history and nature.","where_information":"At km 26.6 of the S.S. 1 bis Aurelia, take the paved rural road in the Dogane area. GPS Coordinates: 42\u00b018'9.7\"N, 12\u00b000'11\"E","address":"S.S. Cassia, Vetralla junction \u2013 Vetralla (VT)","location_map":{"lat":42.302833,"lng":12.0030785,"zoom":13,"markers":[{"label":"Vetralla, Lazio Italy","default_label":"Vetralla, Lazio Italy","lat":42.3028556,"lng":12.0030722,"geocode":[{"name":"Vetralla, Viterbo, Lazio, Italy","html":"Vetralla, Lazio Italy","bbox":{"_southWest":{"lat":42.3028428,"lng":12.0018676},"_northEast":{"lat":42.30298,"lng":12.0031963}},"center":{"lat":42.3028556,"lng":12.0030722},"properties":{"place_id":431098497,"licence":"Data \u00a9 OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0. http:\/\/osm.org\/copyright","osm_type":"way","osm_id":880731437,"lat":"42.3028556","lon":"12.0030722","class":"highway","type":"unclassified","place_rank":26,"importance":0.05339035706111235,"addresstype":"road","name":"","display_name":"Vetralla, Viterbo, Lazio, Italy","address":{"town":"Vetralla","county":"Viterbo","ISO3166-2-lvl6":"IT-VT","state":"Lazio","ISO3166-2-lvl4":"IT-62","country":"Italy","country_code":"it","building":"","road":"","house_number":"","postcode":"","city":"","village":"","hamlet":""},"boundingbox":[42.3028428,42.30298,12.0018676,12.0031963]}}],"uuid":"marker_69f0b3a2db487"}],"address":"Vetralla, Lazio Italy","layers":["OpenStreetMap.Mapnik"],"version":"1.6.1","center_lat":42.302833,"center_lng":12.0030785},"access_mode":"
Free and open access. The site is on a steep slope with barren, rocky terrain: hiking boots are mandatory. Dense vegetation. The entrance sign is hard to see: refer to the GPS coordinates.<\/p>\n","opening_hours":{"description":"
Freely accessible every day.<\/p>\n"},"exceptions":{"exception_days":false}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vetrallaturismo.ai4smartcity.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location\/846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vetrallaturismo.ai4smartcity.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vetrallaturismo.ai4smartcity.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/location"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vetrallaturismo.ai4smartcity.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"location_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vetrallaturismo.ai4smartcity.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location_type?post=846"},{"taxonomy":"target_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vetrallaturismo.ai4smartcity.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/target_type?post=846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}