Everyone Thinks About Rome When Visiting Italy, But They Always Miss Out On This Charming Town For A Day Trip

Rome is such a sprawling, historical heavyweight that many visitors don't consider making trips beyond it to see Italy's smaller gems. There are, however, a couple of major benefits to visiting a lesser-known destination outside the capital. The right day trip city means you can feasibly explore an absurd amount of history in a single day, without jostling through Rome's tourist chaos. 

There are a couple of draws to Tarquinia, which sits roughly an 80-minute drive north of Rome, in hilly countryside in the Lazio region. Tarquinia's history goes back further than Rome's by centuries, to the Etruscans who predated the Roman Empire. Medieval walls weave through the town, which is home to one of Italy's great Etruscan archaeological sites, an ornate archaeological museum and an ancient piazza.

In contrast to Rome's monumental avenues, Tarquinia is a smaller, hilltop town. The settlement is surrounded by traces of the Etruscan world. There are hundreds of painted chambers at the UNESCO-listed Monterozzi necropolis, decorated with scenes of banquets, dancing, hunting, and other glimpses into Etruscan life. At the National Archaeological Museum of Tarquinia, sarcophagi, frescoes, and Etruscan treasures fill a grand, 15th-century building. Amble through the town without a specific agenda in mind and you'll pass Romanesque towers and churches, fortified walls and fountains. It's all fairly easy to see in a day by foot, too — the necropolis to the medieval Fontana Nova on the other side of town is a 25-minute walk.

Tarquinia was one of the major centers of the Etruscan world — a pre-Roman civilization that flourished in Tarquinia around 600 B.C., per the Tarquinia Department of Tourism. Rome took control of the city in the third century B.C., and the Etruscans slowly faded. Today, some of the best evidence of the vanished civilization lies in Tarquinia's Monterozzi necropolis. It features more than 6,000 rock-cut tombs spread across the hillside, according to UNESCO, including about 200 tomb chambers ("hypogea") that are painted with glorious frescoes of Etruscan society. Twenty-two hypogea are open to the public, with tickets available to buy online (admission is free on the first Sunday of each month). You'll get to see the "Tomb of the Leopards"  — which depicts a vividly-animated banquet scene – and the eerie Tomb of the Blue Demons, whose unusual blue-skinned figures shed light on the Etruscan beliefs of the underworld.

Back in town, the National Archaeological Museum of Tarquinia is roughly a 15-minute walk from the necropolis. The cultural center showcases Etruscan relics excavated from the necropolis and ancient city inside Palazzo Vitelleschi, a sumptuous early-Renaissance palace with two-story colonnades and arch-like windows. Inside, you'll find everything from Greek vases to sarcophagi of prominent Etruscan families. The enormous "Winged Horses," sculpted from terracotta and salvaged from an Etruscan temple, is a standout artifact. One perk of this incredible day trip destination from Rome is that the museum and necropolis are covered under a single admission ticket.

While Etruscan Tarquinia leads you through deep layers of Italian history, much of the town you'll see today is a relic of its medieval incarnation. The fortified walls, stone towers, churches, and palazzi you'll stumble upon evoke the Middle Ages. You can walk along the edge of the stone town walls, which date from 9th to 12th centuries. From the elegant, hilltop Barriera San Giusto gate to the town, there are views all the way to the sea. Facing back toward the town, follow the narrow street five minutes to Palazzo Comunale, a Romanesque town hall dating to the 13th century which features a hall covered in frescoes. 

Punctuated by a fountain, Piazza Giacomo Matteotti is the town's central hangout, where you'll find spots to stop for a coffee or aperitivo (pre-dinner drink). L'Angolo Del Caffè Di Palma Cristina is a casual café right on the square, with 4.4 stars on Google Maps, as of this writing. If you want to blend in like a local, read up on Italian coffee bar rules tourists often break before you go. Belle Hélène, a top-rated spot on Tripadvisor, is also by the square. The petite, French-style patisserie serves handmade croissants and pastries to pair with an espresso. Tarquinia doesn't have much in the way of nightlife, but you can drive back to Rome after a day of sightseeing just in time to check out some of Rome's rooftop bars with breathtaking views.