More accurately called the Polychrome Tomb, it is architecturally related to the cube tombs along Via dei Monti Ceriti. A short stepped corridor enters a chamber with benches, divided into two zones by a pair of pillars with modelled capitals. The central area has a pitched ceiling, while flat ceilings with parallel beams cover the side spaces. Traces of banded painted decoration survive on the rear wall—important evidence because colour applied to Cerveteri's tufa has only rarely endured.
What to look for
Consider the pillars, changes in ceiling and painted bands together: architecture and colour articulated different spaces within one chamber.
Discovery and excavation
The name “Polychrome Tomb”, its plan and surviving paint are documented in the UNESCO dossier.