Veio

Veii

Veio
Ruins of the temple of Veii
Shown within Italy
Alternate name	Veius
Location	Isola Farnese, Province of Rome, Lazio, Italy
Region	Latium
Coordinates	42°01′24″N 12°23′23″E / 42.02333°N 12.38972°E / 42.02333; 12.38972Coordinates: 42°01′24″N 12°23′23″E / 42.02333°N 12.38972°E / 42.02333; 12.38972
Type	Settlement
Area	190 ha (470 acres)
History
Events	Battle of Veii
Site notes
Condition	Ruined
Ownership	Public
Management	Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici dell'Etruria Meridionale
Public access	Yes
Website	Area archeologica di Veio (in Italian)

Veii (also Veius, Italian: Veio) was an ancient important Etruscan city 16 km (9.9 mi) north-northwest of Rome, Italy. It now lies in Isola Farnese, in the comune of Rome. Many other sites associated with and in the city-state of Veii are in Formello, immediately to the north. Formello is named after the drainage channels that were first created by the Veians.

Veii was the richest city of the Etruscan League and on the southern border of Etruria. It was alternately at war and in alliance with the Roman Kingdom and later Republic for over 300 years. It eventually fell in the Battle of Veii to Roman general Camillus's army in 396 BC. Veii continued to be occupied after its capture by the Romans.

The site of Veii is a tuff elevation of 190 hectares (470 acres).

The Valchetta flows a few miles eastward to join the Tiber River on the south side of Labaro along the Via Flaminia. Veii might be considered to be on the right bank of the Tiber, and its entire territory covered the intervening distance.

Its proximity to the Tiber and the trade route to the interior, which became the Via Flaminia, augmented its prosperity but also placed it in competition with Rome for the domination of Latium.

The site is now a protected area, part of the Parco di Veio established by the regional authority of Lazio in 1997.

The largest visible monument is the temple of Apollo of 510 BC. Also, tumuli and tombs have been found cut into the rock. Tombs were cut into tuff. but tumuli were not. The most famous is the Grotta Campana, uncovered in 1843, a chamber tomb with the oldest known Etruscan frescoes. There are additionally long tunnels leading into the mound of the city, which may corroborate Livy's account of the Roman victory in the Battle of Veii.