veio

Veio, also known as Veii in Latin and Veio in Italian, is an archaeological site and hill in the Lazio region of central Italy, northwest of Rome near Formello. The site preserves the remains of the ancient Etruscan city of Veii, one of the major centers of early Etruscan civilization and an important rival to Rome before its conquest.

This city rose in the early first millennium BCE and controlled important routes into the hinterlands toward the Tyrrhenian coast. Veii reached its peak in the 6th–5th centuries BCE and faced decline after Rome's siege, traditionally dated to 396 BCE. The city was subsequently abandoned, and much of its material was reused in later developments in the surrounding area.

Archaeological work at Veio has uncovered extensive defensive walls, city streets, and necropolis areas with tombs and grave goods. Finds from Veio have contributed to understandings of Etruscan urban planning, religion, and daily life. The site is part of a protected area that encompasses both archaeological remains and surrounding landscape, and it is open to visitors via marked trails and guided tours from nearby towns.

Today Veio is referenced as an educational and cultural resource in Lazio, with the area sometimes called the Veio Archaeological Park. Exhibits and research on Veio are housed in regional museums, and ongoing excavations continue to illuminate Etruscan history.