We have visited the port of Rome, Civitavecchia , which is a small township approximately 90 minutes drive from Rom or via a regional train.
We decided on this occasion, given we visited Rome for several days prior to the Cruise, to undertake an excursion in the local area. We decided to join Karen Klimowicz who had arranged a tour and excursion to the Etruscan ruins and tombs at Tarquinia and nearby areas.
The group consists of Rich and Karen Kroger and ourselves together with Karen and her husband.
The arrival at Civitavecchia signalled the end of the first stage of our cruise, so we are all required to exit the Oceania Riviera, so from our perspective it was a useful outcome to undertake a tour. The weather is dry but with showers and there is a bitterly cold wind blowing .
The ship is berthed quite some way from the port exit so we do catch a shuttle back to the port gates, where we are met by our guide Luca of Rome Private Excursions . He is a bright enthusiastic "local entrepreneur" from Rome , but has extensive dealings and knowledge of this area. we subsequently find that he owns 28 areas of prome land and is establishing a network across rome and latterly in the USA to sell his high end Red wines.
We drive north east across two motorways out of Civitavecchia on our way to Tarquinia and stop initially just off the motorway at a bridge which dates back to roman times. It is remarkably well preserved and was to take water across an aquaduct to the township of Tarquinia.
On the edge of the township we visit the Greatest Etruscan museum in the world, with well preserved sarcophagi, tombs, frescoes from the 6th to 1st centuries BC. But there are also remains which date back to the 9th Century BC and we thoroughly enjoy the visit to the Etruscan necropolis.
The heart of Southern Etruria, Etruscan Capital, Medieval township , archaeological site of international fame and an intense cultural lie, this area rises 133 metres above sea level on a plateau from which it scenically overlooks the Marta River Valley and the Tyrrhenian Sea. This is all amazing given it existed before the roman Empire and era, and has survived the brutal roman conquests of that time only some 60 km from the Capital (Rome) .
We visit the Palace of named Palazzo Vitelleschi, which is a well preserved masterpiece of Gothic Renaissance Architecture and which now houses the National Museum. We take in the amazing Etruscan Necropolis just outside the town that includes the beautiful and well preserved tombs, which we are able to walk into and down steps, and into the ancient and extremely well preserved tombs. These tombs bear witness to the cult of the Dead of a fascinating and enigmatic ancient people. They are unique in themselves and only comparable to the Egyptian tombs.
We then come to discuss lunch and our first desire is to get out of the freezing winds, but also we are keen to take in some authentic original Italian and Etruscan food from this region. We are invited to join a family with an Agro Farm Restuarnat, where the produced food must incorporate 95 % of the produce from the local area. We are initially taken into the stables area where there is a separate wine cellar with large concrete vats. These store the wine and there are 3 types. White wine from last year. Red wine from last year and the 3rd tank contains red wine of 3 years ago. They are all OK , but the 3 year old red is especially good.
Lunch is served in a separate restaurant adjacent to the house. We sit at a wooden table and we are served a five course luncheon consisting of intial bread and dips of several varieties. Lunch is cooked by the 84 year old Nonna. We take photos and she is delighted by our enjoyment and laughter.
We enjoy several dishes from proscuito to anti-pasta, eggplant Sun-dried tomato, Salami several cheeses and goat cheese with wild boar pate and home made crusty bread ( warm) as an entre/ starter, before having main courses of several alternatives of Pasta .
At this stage we are needing a break before we are served a superb panna-cotta with home made berry and chocolate syrup and a beautiful Berry tart.
We enjoy several of the wines, fresh spring water. It is a highlight of the whole cruise and holiday. a superb meal , the restaurant has been opened for us, because it is only usually opened each evening and is always booked out weeks in advance.
It is a ridiculous low cost of 25 Euros for this beautiful meal. As I suggested earlier a highlight of the total holiday. totally different food to even traditional Roman food as served in restaurants in Rome.
Then we have Limoncello and Bay-leaf liquors to finish and send us on our way from Fattoria Valle del Marta a well known wine and oil producer area in Tuscania. We then proceed to another walled township, named Tuscania, which remains an important local tourist and historical Etruscan village area. It remains a challenge to grasp this history from 1-6 centuries BC.
In the town we have the historical Basilica of San Pietro, opened for us. It is a magnificnt old church being lovingly restored and is many hundreds of years old. It stands on a traditional Etruscan Necropolis.
This has been a most enjoyable day.
We then depart and have a drive back to Civitavecchia of about 50 minutes along the motorway. We are now back in cicilsation and in many respects the last 7-8 hours have been in almost a time warp.
We arrive back in plenty of time, thank Luca for a wonderful day and all realise that this has been an exceptional visit to a range of properties 50 minutes from the Port and reflecting real history, preserved in a manner where the world still operates but maintains so much of its traditional and historical ways.
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