Veii

Veii, also known as Veius in some sources, was a major Etruscan city-state located on a high plateau about 16 kilometers northwest of Rome, near the modern town of Formello in Lazio, Italy. It dominated the Via Cassia corridor and played a central role in Etruscan politics from the early first millennium BCE. The city flourished between the 7th and late 4th centuries BCE, developing extensive fortifications, an acropolis with monumental temples, and large necropolises.

Among its most famous monuments was the Portonaccio temple, a large temple on the acropolis that housed a series of iconic terracotta sculptures, the best known being the Apulu (Apollo) statue, now in the National Etruscan Museum in Rome. The city also produced notable bronze and terracotta works, including the Veii Warrior, a life-size bronze figure recovered at the site and now in Villa Giulia.

Veii’s power waned as Rome expanded, culminating in its siege and capture in 396 BCE by the Roman general Camillus. After conquest, Veii was gradually absorbed into Roman territory and its political independence ended. The site was largely abandoned, with later settlements focusing elsewhere. Excavations dating from the 19th and 20th centuries revealed its urban plan, religious architecture, and spectacular sculpture, making Veii an important source for early Etruscan art and urbanism. Today the site is partly preserved as an archaeological park near Formello, and many of its finds are housed in Rome museums.