TALES OF BYGONE CITIES

As you disembark your cruise ship in Civitavecchia, meet your private driver and enjoy a quest to discover Italy’s early dwellers: the Ancient Romans and the Etruscans.

Your first port of call is Ostia Antica, the capital’s ancient harbour. Ostia’s ruins might not be as well known as the excavations in Pompeii – probably because of the latter’s tragic fate – but they are, nevertheless, simply amazing and can still speak volumes about how life was lived in Roman times. Ostia remained mostly untouched until the early 1900s and the excellent state of conservation of its buildings and mosaics allows visitors to gain insight into the daily bustle of this once busy harbour.

According to tradition the town was founded as a colony by Ancus Marcius, Rome’s fourth king, in the late 7th century BC, although some historians and archaeologists claim the very earliest settlement can be dated to the beginning of the 4th century BC. The city flourished in the 2nd century AD, under the rule of Emperors Trajan and Hadrian, when it became Rome’s main port for goods, including grain, olive oil and wine, transported to and from far-flung corners of the empire. Trade brought opulence and prosperity to the city as testified by the stunning remains you will see.

Your guide will lead you through the streets of this remarkable ancient settlement and explain how findings that emerged from the rubble have been pieced together to give us an accurate picture of this ancient port town. We know multilevel homes once stood on this very spot, although they are no longer intact. As the city flourished the population grew to 50,000 inhabitants, leading to an increased demand for lodging. Ancient citizens resolved issues of space by building taller structures. Today only the ground floors remain but to imagine that forerunners of modern skyscrapers were built here is simply astounding. Highlights of your tour include the theatre, the forum, temples, thermal baths and even age-old public latrines! Can you believe that yesterday’s toilets have become an exciting treasure trove for archaeologists today?

In the afternoon, following free time for lunch, you will have the opportunity to explore Cerveteri’s famous Etruscan necropolis and step into the intimate underworld of a mysterious and fascinating civilization. The ingenuity and artistry of the Etruscans together with the story of their rise and fall will be unveiled here. The Etruscans ruled central Italy for centuries and were one of the West’s most technologically and culturally advanced populations until overtaken by the powerful Romans. The Etruscans are known for being valorous warriors, clever engineers, artistically refined and fond of a luxurious lifestyle. Although their cities are long gone, their cemetery still allows us to gain a vivid impression of how they lived thousands of years ago.

Spanning over six centuries and stretching for more than two kilometres, the UNESCO-listed Necropoli della Banditaccia is among the largest cities of the dead in the Mediterranean area. Hundreds of monumental tombs, arranged according to an urban-like design, composed of streets, small squares and neighbourhoods, are the only surviving traces of Etruscan city planning and residential architecture and thus offer priceless information about how a pre-Roman settlement might have looked between the 9th and 3rd centuries BC. These burial chambers, considered permanent dwellings for the deceased, were carved to simulate the interior of residential homes, with several rooms, pillars, gabled roofs, stone couches and furnishings. The profusion of goods originally found inside, such as tableware, vases, bronze artefacts, weapons and jewellery, makes an unmistakable statement about their wealth and desire to preserve a lifestyle of the highest quality when they reached the next world.

After the tour your private chauffeur will drive you back to your cruise ship in Civitavecchia.