Veii
Veii (pron. WAY-ee or VAY-ee) - or
Veius - was in ancient times, an important
Etrurian city 16 km NNW of
Rome,
Italy.
Veii was the richest city of the
Etruscan League, on the southern border of Etruria. As the nearest Etruscan city to Rome, it was continually at war with
Rome for nearly 400 years. It eventually
fell to the Roman general
Camillus's army in
396 BC. Veii continued to be occupied after its capture by the Romans;
Livia had an estate there, according to
Suetonius. It was famous for its statuary including a statue of
Tiberius (now in the
Vatican), and the Apollo of Veii (now in the
Villa Giulia).
The site was abandoned after ancient times, and it became forgotten until its rediscovery in the 17th century by the antiquarian
Raphael Fabretti. The remains of Veii today lie near the small village of Isola Farnese.
Outside the remains of the city there are remnants of an apparent temple. Also
tumuli and
tombs have been found cut into the rock. The most famous is the Grotta Campana, uncovered in
1843, a
chamber tomb with the eldest 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.
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Extensive information on Veii from the Lacus Curtius site
