The Sexuality of Etruscans

Tour Information

The mysterious people of Etruscans and their sex appeal

Tarquinia is a small town, 1.5 hour drive from Rome. Because of the huge Etruscan necropolis and the worldwide famous museum, Tarquinia is considered as the capital of the Etruscans, pre-Roman people living in Central Italy. Their culture and lifestyle has strongly influenced the Romans who conquered their territories from 4th century B.C and become completely Roman by the first century A.C.

The Etruscan culture represents a mystery for archeologists: the Tarquinia necropolis is a unique treasure of their history, of their daily life in their homeland, Etruria.

In this tour, you will visit the Monterozzi necropolis and its museum. A convenient private transfer by car from Rome to Tarquinia will take you to meet your gay-friendly guide, just close to the necropolis. But let’s unveil some more about these Roman ancestors in Italy…

‘The Etruscans do not disdain women because they love having numerous offspring but, once they have fulfilled their duty, they turn to the boys they love in a very different way and who, in general, they prefer to women… Almost all Etruscan adolescents are beautiful and they are always well cared for. The pimps subject them to depilation and massages with scented oils. Barbers and masseurs have their open-air shops and, from the threshold of the door, one can witness the exciting spectacle offered by so many completely naked young men who are about to be prepared for the parties of love… Friends and lovers are there to oversee all operations and pay the bill’

These are the opening words of Theopompus of Chios, a famous Greek historian and rhetorician born around 376 BC. and who, through his precious studies (such as those contained in "Philipic Stories" - Book XLIII), has allowed us to learn about homosexual love among the Etruscans.

An importance, that of sex, equal to that covered by the culinary art: it is known, in fact, that the Etruscans, in addition to being gourmets and great cooking experts (they punctuated the days with precious banquets, forerunners of the lavish lunches of the ancient Rome), lived in complete sexual freedom, without any moral judgment on the ways and forms in which sex was performed. Food, death and love are, in fact, themes that are very intertwined in the Etruscan world. Various tombs show representations of amorous moments and sexual embraces, even quite pushed. Below we see those mainly with a homosexual theme.

The tomb paintings, the frescoes and the many artifacts unearthed from archaeological excavations provide us with the greatest number of representations in this sense: from homoerotic scenes with naked athletes in the gym to scenes showing unequivocal love affairs between men, with young men intent on having anal sex and engaged in various embraces.

Among the most important archaeological excavations that have brought to light this type of representation are those carried out in the "Tomb of the Bulls", present in the Monterozzi necropolis in Tarquinia. In the Tomb of the Bulls there is the most conspicuous pictorial nucleus of Etruscan art that has come down to us, containing some of the most famous erotic scenes. On the back wall of the main room two sexual relationships are represented: one homosexual and one heterosexual (the latter is a menage à trois between two men and a woman).

The mysterious people of Etruscans and their sex appeal

Tarquinia is a small town, 1.5 hour drive from Rome. Because of the huge Etruscan necropolis and the worldwide famous museum, Tarquinia is considered as the capital of the Etruscans, pre-Roman people living in Central Italy. Their culture and lifestyle has strongly influenced the Romans who conquered their territories from 4th century B.C and become completely Roman by the first century A.C.

The Etruscan culture represents a mystery for archeologists: the Tarquinia necropolis is a unique treasure of their history, of their daily life in their homeland, Etruria.

In this tour, you will visit the Monterozzi necropolis and its museum. A convenient private transfer by car from Rome to Tarquinia will take you to meet your gay-friendly guide, just close to the necropolis. But let’s unveil some more about these Roman ancestors in Italy…

‘The Etruscans do not disdain women because they love having numerous offspring but, once they have fulfilled their duty, they turn to the boys they love in a very different way and who, in general, they prefer to women… Almost all Etruscan adolescents are beautiful and they are always well cared for. The pimps subject them to depilation and massages with scented oils. Barbers and masseurs have their open-air shops and, from the threshold of the door, one can witness the exciting spectacle offered by so many completely naked young men who are about to be prepared for the parties of love… Friends and lovers are there to oversee all operations and pay the bill’

These are the opening words of Theopompus of Chios, a famous Greek historian and rhetorician born around 376 BC. and who, through his precious studies (such as those contained in “Philipic Stories” – Book XLIII), has allowed us to learn about homosexual love among the Etruscans.

An importance, that of sex, equal to that covered by the culinary art: it is known, in fact, that the Etruscans, in addition to being gourmets and great cooking experts (they punctuated the days with precious banquets, forerunners of the lavish lunches of the ancient Rome), lived in complete sexual freedom, without any moral judgment on the ways and forms in which sex was performed. Food, death and love are, in fact, themes that are very intertwined in the Etruscan world. Various tombs show representations of amorous moments and sexual embraces, even quite pushed. Below we see those mainly with a homosexual theme.

The tomb paintings, the frescoes and the many artifacts unearthed from archaeological excavations provide us with the greatest number of representations in this sense: from homoerotic scenes with naked athletes in the gym to scenes showing unequivocal love affairs between men, with young men intent on having anal sex and engaged in various embraces.

Among the most important archaeological excavations that have brought to light this type of representation are those carried out in the “Tomb of the Bulls”, present in the Monterozzi necropolis in Tarquinia. In the Tomb of the Bulls there is the most conspicuous pictorial nucleus of Etruscan art that has come down to us, containing some of the most famous erotic scenes. On the back wall of the main room two sexual relationships are represented: one homosexual and one heterosexual (the latter is a menage à trois between two men and a woman).

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Departure:
Rome

Places You’ll See

Itinerary

Tab Item Content

What's Included

Pick up at your hotel
Professional gay-friendly guide
Ticketing
Transfers

What's Excluded

Everything not clearly mentioned on what's Included
Meals
Personal extras
Tips

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Additional Information

  • The tour last 6 hours from pick up to drop off in Rome.
  • Meeting point: Piazza Venezia – Venezia Palace – Rome.
  • Meeting time: h. 9.30AM.
  • Return in Rome h. 03.30PM.

The Voice of Our Clients

Ian
Ian
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My husband and I booked the tour of the “Vatican in a gay light” for one morning during our trip to Rome. Our guide, Dario, was very knowledgeable of the historical significe of the art works as well as many of the anecdotes that provided context. We learned a great deal and truly enjoyed ourselves. This tour is too notch! Thank you.
Matt Berg
Matt Berg
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Excellent pre-cruise Quiiky tour in Venice. Great guide who had so much intimate knowledge of Venice. Besides being very handsome he is a local resident for more than 2 decades with so much intimate knowledge that you can’t get from a guidebook. This is my second time using Quiiky for tours and transfers; they’re my first choice in Italy!
Dan & Vince
Dan & Vince
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First I would like to thank you and your company and all involved for a wonderful trip. From beginning to end we continued to be amazed by all the wonder service we received from all of you. We had a fabulous time for our anniversary. All the guides were great and all better than we expected. It is hard to pick a best as they were all awesome, that being said, three stand out for being most personable and had a excellent sense of how to move us along our tours. Quiiky gets 5 out of 5 for all other ratings. Yes, we would positively reccommend for anyone considering travel to Italy. AND, Giovanna, you’re the best.
 John Bindlechner-Wigan
John Bindlechner-Wigan
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We adored our Quikky tour of the Vatican with our guide Claudio. We had been a little apprehensive about visiting the Vatican but this tour is the way to go! Claudio had an expert knowledge of the art collection and we enjoyed hearing the "other", more scandalous stories of the private lives of Michelangelo and the popes. We loved our visit to the museums, Sistine Chapel, grotto and St Peters - I recommend joining the queue and adding on the view from the dome of the basilica - well worth the stairs!
Denis Dallaire
Denis Dallaire
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The excursion to Capri was great! The headphone system worked really well and the guide Andrea was super nice and fun! He was a really good guide and would not hesitate to have him again. The food and drink offerings were very good. Thank you for a wonderful experience!
Oliver Broad
Oliver Broad
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Thanks for a great alternative tour of the Vatican. Having visited back in 1999 I wanted something a little different to do with my husband who had never visited before. It is great to see Quiiky offering tours with a twist and can most definitely recommend this one for your next visit to Rome.
Greg Brady
Greg Brady
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First had a wonderful pre-cruise Quikky tour in Venice. Our guide was super friendly, knowledgeable, and a great deal of fun. Then I went on a tour of the Vatican and our tour guide was incredible. He is an expert on the Vatican and on the pertinent gay history (which turns out to be much more than you might even think). He literally made the Vatican come alive and provided one of the more fascinating tours I have taken anywhere. And the two wonderful owners of Quiiky picked us up and took us on a vehicular tour of Rome. Others got back from Rome complaining of the crowds and the heat... we got back energized, happy, and filled with fascinating information after an afternoon filled with fun and personalized care. Don't make the mistake thinking you will get an equivalent tour from a straight guide/company -- if you are gay, Quiiky is the way to go.
Auston Matta
Auston Matta
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I highly recommend Quiiky Travel for any guided visit to Rome or Italy. I was both surprised and entertained by everything GAY I learned about the Vatican on my tour. They are passionate about providing an excellent travel experience and I have no doubt that you would enjoy one of their tours or travel products.
Denis Dallaire
Denis Dallaire
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What a wonderful experience to Messina and Taormina. Antonio was a great guide with good knowledge and history-telling. Really enjoyed the history of the museum Cusena. Again the food and drinks on the boat were very good. Thank you so much!
Santiago Stanley
Santiago Stanley
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Our excursion to Messina and Taormina today was excellent. Antonio was amazing. Our food experience was on point … starting with the granita and Brioche in Messina and the arancini and cannoli in Taormina!!! The boat trip around the bays was spectacular and the food again!!! Eggplant Parmesan and the sardine dish and olives… Again Antonio was patient , knowledgeable sweet and always on time!! Excellent experience!!!
Adam Martindale
Adam Martindale
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We had a fantastic tour of the Vatican with Paolo from Quiiky. Paolo was knowledgeable, personable, fun and really gave us a different insight into the history of art and the gay artists that are part of the Vatican’s history and more! Highly recommended!
Theron Clark Stuart
Theron Clark StuartGroup Traveller
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It was easy to schedule our tour. Everything was explained in great detail, so there was no confusion on the day of the excursion. The vans were spotless and comfortable. Our guide for the Colosseum was exceptional in every way. He was cute, knowledgeable, witty, flexible and engaging. We met so wonderful folks and shared a wonderful lunch with the guys from our group. Could not have been happier with Quiiky.
Curtis Korchinsky
Curtis KorchinskyGroup Traveller
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Fantastic company to work with. Very easy and simple…..and good value. Will definitely book with them again!
Ron Davis
Ron Davis
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BEST TOUR COMPANY YOU COULD WISH FOR! I have done two tours in Rome with this amazing company and both times it was 20-30 people Expert process, memorable tours, top notch experience. We arrived by cruise ship and they handled everything. Regardless of how you arrive you will receive a tour that is personal and you feel like you w learned secrets and things you would never ever have heard or known. I wholeheartedly recommend them.
Bob Kobosky
Bob Kobosky
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Highly recommend Quiiky.com for tours/day trips in Italy. They did an AMAZING job on our tours in Palermo and Naples as well as arranging a wonderful beach day for us when we disembark in Civitavecchia before heading to the airport in the late afternoon.
Heinz Steinmetz
Heinz Steinmetz
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Interesting and entertaining! Well organized small group with an experienced and friendly guide.
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The Sexuality of Etruscans

From € 350

Duration: 6 hours
Departure: Aug. 27, 2023
Destination: Rome
Inspiration: Art & Culture

Untold History Tours

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