Although not well known, the norchia It is one of the most beautiful archaeological sites in all of Italy. Suffice it to say that, thanks to the heritage it preserves, it is even considered the "Petra of Italy".
La Norchia Necropolis comes to life in the tuff of a dense forest located on the ancient Roman route of the Via Clodia, in the municipality of Vetralla in the province of Viterbo. A place where Etruscan and Roman remains alternate with the ruins of the medieval town. An extraordinary set of treasures that make this place frozen in time a truly unique spectacle in the world.
norchiaTherefore, it is not only one of the most important places in the Tuscia area of Viterbo, but also a fascinating and mysterious place with a thousand-year history.
An area, Norchia, that seems to have been inhabited since the Middle Bronze Age. Proof of this are the "grotticella" burials in the Piano del Casalone area and the bottoms of the cabins along the east side of the hill, brought to light in 1970.
laEtruscan settlement of Norchia It sat on a tuff spur - typical of the area - that was limited to the west by the Biedano stream and to the east by the Pile ditch. And it was from the 4th century BC. that the construction of the most famous and monumental tombs of the Necropolis began here. Without forgetting the numerous ceramic remains and engineering works such as the artificial moat and the wall made with large square blocks of tuff.
You absolutely should not miss the Tombe a Dado e semidad that still resist today under the tuff walls. They date back to a period that goes from the 4th to the 2nd century BC. and all of them face west, a point from which it is possible to admire the sunset.
It is no coincidence that some of them turn out to be among the most important in the Etruscan world: the Tomb of Ciarlanti, the Tomb of Smurinas, the Tomb of Prostila and the Tomb of Charon in the necropolis of Fosso di Pile and the Tomb of Lattanzi in the necropolis of Biedano.
Unfortunately, practically nothing remains of the acropolis, which literally means "upper city." But from the studies carried out so far it is clear that this ancient Etruscan city was well defended by the three currents. The only exposed part was the southernmost part, which the brave Etruscans defended with a wall and watchtower.
However, once the Etruscans were defeated, the Romans arrived in the area and Norchia became part of the municipality of Tarquinia. While during the period of the High and Low Middle Ages the city of Orcla was baptized Norchia and remained active until 1453. From that moment on it was abandoned because it was invaded by a malaria epidemic. Today some testimonies from that time are still visible, such as the castle and the church of San Pietro from the XNUMXth century.
In a nutshell, Norchia is one of the most important archaeological sites in our entire country, a spectacular Necropolis that, due to its beauty and wealth, can be considered the “Petra of Italy”.
