Visit the Necropolis of the Ancient Veneti

The pre-Roman necropolis of Mel in Borgo Valbelluna opens exceptionally to the public every Sunday in July and August from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM; it will be possible to access and visit the state archaeological area that preserves the monumental burial ground of the Ancient Veneti.

A “city of the dead” among the oldest in Valbelluna and one of the few currently accessible in the entire Veneto region, rediscovered thanks to excavations that began in 1958, is located at the entrance of the village of Mel and allows us to learn how the Paleoveneti lived and what their economic and social structure was.

The approximately 80 tombs found are integrated within 7 circles formed by sandstone slabs embedded in the ground in a vertical position. The ashes of the deceased were placed in ceramic or bronze vases along with some everyday objects inside polygonal boxes, thus forming a sort of family tomb. The cremation vases and all the objects that served as grave goods - ornaments and tools - are displayed in the rooms of the Municipal Archaeological Museum, located in the Palazzo delle Contesse in the square of Mel.

The Ancient Veneti or Paleoveneti were an Indo-European population that arrived in northeastern Italy after the mid-2nd millennium BC. Thanks to numerous archaeological excavations and related findings, the history and identity of this population have been reconstructed over the years. The Veneti initially settled in the area between Lake Garda and the Euganean Hills and later expanded south to Adria (RO) and eastward to the Tagliamento River.

Free entry.