Discovering Vulci Archaeological Park

Only 40 minutes away by car from the Port of Civitavecchia, in the heart of the Maremma Laziale and not far from the towns of Montalto di Castro, Canino and Capalbio expands the Vulci Archaeological Naturalistic Park.

Within this huge park (about 120 hectares), among suggestive canyons of volcanic origin, the rich vegetation of the Mediterranean maquis and some funny encounter with horses or cows of the Maremma grazing wild, you will have the chance to admire the remains of the ancient city of Vulci, one of the most important Etruscan-Roman cities of Etruria.

Along the whole perimeter of the park twists and turns the Fiora river, that plunges into the lake of Pellicone, a necessary step of any itinerary, a true oasis of peace and relaxation.

Finally, not far from the archeological site, stands up the majestic Castello dell'Abbadia with the amazing Ponte del Diavolo, an unmissable stop!

But now, enough small talk, let's discover this magical place... follow us!

Archaeological Park: between the Roman remains and the Etruscan Necropolis

The park archaeological area is enclosed by the original walls (4th century BC), built with solid tuff blocks that have protected the city over the centuries, and by the City Gates, like the monumental West Gate, close to which you will be able to admire the remains of a Roman aqueduct.

Inside the area there are the Forum, the Temple and the Arch, dedicated to Publius Sulpicius Mundus, Roman senator in the 1st centuryBC, the podium of an imposing Etruscan temple made with tuff (5th century BC), different rooms of the Domus of the Cryptoporticus, luxury aristocratic villa dating back to the 2nd century BC, a small temple devoted to Hercules and a beautiful Mithraeum from the 3rd century BC.

On the opposite side of the river, there is the Etruscan Necropolis, housing thousands of tombs, like the precious François Tomb (4th century BC) which you can access through a corridor, the Tomb of the Inscriptions and the imposing Cuccumella Tomb.

The astounding frescoes from the François Tomb (named after the archaeologist Alessandro François, who discovered the tomb in 1857), are in Villa Albani in Rome. The frescoes represent the saga of the Vibenna brothers and Servio Tullio, in the period they fought against the Tarquini over the dominance of Rome.

Lake of the Pellicone

Inside the vast area of the park, you will be able to choose one of the following suggested itineraries:

• short itinerary (Km 2.3)
• complete itinerary (Km 3.5)
• nature itinerary (Km 1.5)

As we said earlier, all the itineraries have in common a necessary stop, the Lake of the Pellicone, a true oasis of peace and relaxation plunged into uncontaminated nature, with a pond completely surrounded by evoking vulcanic rock walls from where a small waterfall springs.

A small paradise that not without reason has been chosen many times as a natural set for different films!

The scenes of the films Non ci resta che piangere, where Massimo Troisi and Roberto Benigni meet Leonardo da Vinci, or Tre uomini e una gamba, where Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo and Marina Massironi bath in the crystal clear water of the lake, are pretty famous.

Guided visits and restaurants

If you want, you can book a guided visit to discover the archaeological area, the Necropolis, the Castello dell'Abbadia or taking an archeotrekking itinerary.

Also, there are regular organised visits and learning workshops for schools, as well as many events including night visits, horse rides, sport activities, archery, sensorial excursions, kayaking and much more! Anyway, you are spoilt for choice!

And talking about being spoilt, if you love good food, inside the park you will find two restaurants, Locanda del Parco and Casale dell'Osteria, where you can try some delicious traditional dishes of the maremma!

Castello dell'Abbadia

Not far from the ticket office and the entrance to the archaeological park is the Castello dell'Abbadia accessed through a spectacular Etruscan-Roman bridge called Ponte del Diavolo or dell'Arcobaleno (Bridge of the Devil or of the Rainbow), 30 meters above the Fiora river which dominates the area.

The Castle dates back to the 13th centurt and houses the National Archeological Museum of Vulci, where you will find many finds from the vast area of the parko.

For further information, please read the article about the Castello dell'Abbadia.

What else can we say? At the bottom of the page you will find all the useful information to organize your visit... and last but not least, here are spectacular shootings of the park and the castle... enjoy your trip!

(Video credits: Mauro Sciambi)