On a previous trip to Italy, we visited an Etruscan tomb near one of the Tuscan hill towns (can't remember which one). Very disappointing. Just a short tunnel ending in an empty room. I have read that some are extremely interesting. Does anyone out there have a favorite one to visit on our next trip?

We visited Tarquinia a few years ago. It was actually a diversion offered by a cruise line because there was a storm on the Mediteranean, and we weren't able to leave on schedule. It was one of the high points of the trip. A great museum, many shaft tombs, and a wonderful guide. The latter was a woman, probably in her forites, who was very knowledgeable and was wonderfully unblushing about the sexual iconography in the tombs.

Hello Lady, I have no idea if this is the best of the Etruscan ruins but I spent a day at The Archeological Park of Baratti and Populonia with Italian friends in Italy a few years ago. Here is a website which will give you an idea of this park. You can also Google this for more websites.
http://www.wwmm.org/storie/storia.as...=1&trad=EN

This is what my favourite tour company offers:

http://www.romeinlimo.com/etruscan-tour.htm

Fiesole has wonderful Etruscan ruins. Fiesole is just outside of Florence.

Hi,

Here is a list of Etruscan Museums in Tuscany:
http://www.tuscanweb.com/news/?ID=160

Hope it helps.

Orvieto, north of Rome, in Umbria, has an Etruscan past with a fascinating museum and underground caverns once inhabited by the people of the area 2500 yrs ago.

Tarquinia is really great. Make sure you go to the museum and then to the necropolis. It beats Orvieto, though Orvieto's underground tour is quite interesting.

Both Tarquinia and Cerveteri are World Heritage sites of UNESCO. I was in Tarquinia yesterday with a group of students...they were wowed by the sarcophaghi, painted tombs, and the very explicit black and red figure vases. Tourist office is closed from 1-3:30. Good bookshop at both museum and necropolis. The necropolis closes at 2 until the end of March.

Thanks guys. I was pretty sure I wanted to do Orvieto and Tarquinia. With a car, Cerveteri is on the way. Hope to go in May or Sept.