Parco Archeologico del Sodo -Etruscan site

This one is for hard-core fans of Etruscan culture. Ancient tombs pepper the plains around Cortona.  At the bottom of the hill, an archaeological park, the Parco Archeologico del Sodo, showcases the Etruscan Sodo Tombs, including a sculpted sacrificial altar. The contents of many tombs are now in the Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca but the original sites are here. The so-called “Meloni” are ancient Etruscan tumuli found in the Sodo area, just outside Cortona. Between the 8th and 4th centuries BC “Etruria Propria” flourished as a confederation of 12 city-states in Central Italy. Northern Etruria, roughly equivalent to modern Tuscany, included Cortona, Arezzo, Chiusi, Populonia, Vetulonia and Volterra. To make sense of the Archaeological Park, it’s best to visit the area with a guide or to book a half-day weekend tour through the Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca.

Address: Parco Archeologico del Sodo, Sodo di Cortona, 52044 Cortona
Web: cortonamaec.org/it/il-parco-archeologico/