Archaeology in the heart of Italy

Today we spend the day in Viterbo, the city with Etruscan origins which became home of the popes in the 13^th century when they were fleeing the hostility of the Roman populace. We start at the National Etruscan Museum, which is housed in the Rocca Albornoz, where we see precious remains of Etruscan housing and a well-preserved cart. We proceed to the medieval Palace of the Popes, including the atmospheric audience hall, which held the longest conclave in history, and the beautiful loggia of the benedictions. We end the day with a visit to the 12^th century Cathedral of Saint Laurence, whose Romanesque character is retained in its cosmatesque floors and austere nave.

We set off this morning to visit the famous Etruscan city of Vulci, once known a leading member of the Etruscan league. We start with the archaeological park which contains a wonderful Mithraeum, as well as a domus with a stunning cryptoporticus, as well as a good forum area. We continue to the atmospheric Etruscan tombs which date from the 7^th century onwards and include the famous Francois tomb. In the afternoon, we consider the so called bridge of the devil, an intact 20 metre tall Roman bridge which leads us to the Abbey Castle, built on the site of Vulci, reusing its materials. Once a Cistercian abbey which offered accommodation to pilgrims including Knights Templar, it is today a museum which houses important remains from Vulci, which highlight the prosperity of the ancient city.

This morning we explore the site of Falerii Novi, so named because Rome forced the original inhabitants of this Faliscan city to move to the current site as it was more accessible and controllable. Here we see the gloriously well-preserved city walls, including the wonderful Jove Gate, which is one of the earliest arches in the regions. Here we see the remains of a theatre, houses and a temple, as well as an 11^th century Benedictine Abbey Church, built on the site, reusing ancient materials. After lunch, we proceed to the superb archaeological site of Sutri where we can see an amphitheatre cut out of the tuff rock, as well as a cavernous mithraeum which was Christianised in the 4^th century AD and restructured into the 13^th century into the Church of Santa Maria del Parto. On the site of Sutri, we also visit the 13^th century Church of Santa Maria del Tempio which once belonged to the Knights Templar, and which preserves frescoes from different periods.

Today we visit two picturesque towns to explore underground excavations which offer precious glimpses into the cities’ past. We start with the pretty Umbrian hill side town of Narni first settled by the ancient Umbri. Here we start with a visit to the Church of Saint Francis built shortly after his death in commemoration of the time he spent in Narni; the Romanesque church is noted for its rich cycle of 14^th century frescoes. We proceed to explore a series of buildings only recently discovered under the ground, including a 12^th church replete with frescoes, a Roman domus and parts of the Roman aqueduct. After lunch, we travel to the small town of Orte in Lazio to see further subterranean excavations which allow us to understand the water management systems of the ancient city from the 5^th century to its Roman conquest.

The tour takes us this morning to Lucus Feroniae, a city which developed around a lucus, or sacred grove, dedicated to the goddess Feronia who was worshipped, above all, by freedmen. Although it was an ancient religious sanctuary important to Faliscans and Sabines, as well, perhaps, to Etruscans, the site that we visit today was developed in the Roman period, bearing all the hallmarks of a Roman city. Here we visit a forum area, an amphitheatre as well as insulae of houses. After visiting the antiquarium, which has interested remains of a funerary monument depicting gladiators, we walk a very short distance to the Villa of the Volusii, an incredibly opulent late republican elite dwelling constructed for an elite Roman family as a getaway from the city. Around city rooms of the villa have been excavated, several of which have intact mosaics. After lunch, we make our way to the archaeological site of Ferento, which flourished in the early imperial period and was the home of both the emperor Otho and the wife of Vespasian, Domitilla Flavia Maior. Here we will see the remains of a fine theatre, as well as a bath complex and forum area

In our last full day, we will explore the world-renowned city of Orvieto, ancient Volsinii, whose Etruscan roots are evident in its wonderful musea, as well as its important sites. We start with a visit to one of the few surviving Etruscan temples and continue to the Museo Claudio Faina which houses important artefacts from the Necropolis of Crocifisso del Tufo, as well as characteristic Etruscan sarcophagi and important Greek red and black figure vessels, which were so prized by Etruscans. After an independent lunch, we have the choice of either visiting the extraordinary cathedral of Orvieto made famous by the Signorelli frescoes in the San Brizio chapel or visiting the adjacent National Archaeological Museum. We end the day with a visit to the spectacular Necropolis of Crocifisso del Tufo which hosts Etruscan tombs which mainly date from the 6^th-5^th centuries BC and are arranged in orthogonal streets. Inscriptions above the lintels of some of the burials give the names of the deceased, a detail which brings these ancient Etruscans closer to us.

Today we make our way back to the Fiumicino Airport in Rome, where we catch our flights to London.