Vulci

Vulci was an ancient Etruscan city-state that flourished on the western edge of Etruria, in what is now Lazio, Italy. The site sits in the Fiora valley near the Tyrrhenian coast and corresponds to the later medieval town of Civita di Vulci. Excavations have uncovered extensive city walls, a temple precinct and other public buildings, as well as two major necropolises to the east and west. The urban center developed in the early Iron Age and reached its peak between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, when Vulci was one of the more influential Etruscan polities, participating in regional diplomacy and trade networks with Veii, Tarquinia, and the Roman world.

Archaeological finds include a large collection of bucchero ware, bronze mirrors, and artifacts that shed light on funerary practices and social hierarchy. The site provides important evidence for Etruscan urban planning, religion, and material culture. In the 4th–3rd centuries BCE, Vulci began to decline as Roman power expanded, and by the late Republic it had largely ceased to function as an independent city.

The modern Vulci Archaeological Park conserves the remains and provides access for visitors. It also houses an outdoor museum displaying finds from the necropolises and the landscape around the site. Research continues, with ongoing digs and conservation projects aimed at better understanding Etruscan civilization and its interactions with Rome.