The Etruscan origins of this town are am­ply documented by the necropolises around the modern-day centre, demon­strating the importance and stability achieved by these populations particularly after the eighth century BC. The entire area, connected with the artistic and cul­tural influence of Tarquinia and Cerveteri, was considered by the Etruscans to be one of the most important ones in southern Etruria. Evidence of the Imperial Age, dur­ing which Blera was a Roman municipium, can be seen on Via Clodia, one of the main consular roads (third century BC). Roman domination can also be evinced clearly from the columbaria - vaults lined with fu­nerary niches - some of which are monu­mental, and from the remains of columns, walls and ceramics that can even be seen in the modern-day centre. The entire set­ting looks like an open-air museum that is rendered even more fascinating by the breathtaking countryside. The historic cen­tre is wrapped around the collegiate church of the Assunta. This Romanesque church, which was restructured repeated­ly, holds several eighteenth-century paint­ings and a noteworthy canvas by Antonio da Bassano, dating to the end of the six­teenth century, depicting the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. The tomb of St. Vivenzio, patron saint of Blera, is located in the crypt (eleventh-twelfth century).

The necropolis of Pian del Vescovo has a double row of tombs. The older ones, located on the plateau (the one of the Sphinx is exceptional) date to the seventh century BC. The more recent ones (sixth fourth century BC) are instead arranged along the cliff at various levels. Because of its size, its excellent architecture and the wealth of materials that have been uncov­ered there, this is the most interesting necropolis in the area. The La Casetta-Il Terrone necropolis surrounds the residen­tial area of Blera in a ring-like fashion along the northern slope of the valley of the Canale brook. At these burial grounds, your attention is immediately drawn to an enor­mous grave entirely excavated from the tuff and to two tombs (one of the grottoes is known as Grotta Penta with traces of deco­rative motifs). The entire cemetery area was used intermittently from the age of easternisation until the Roman era.

Located around Blera (about 6 km along the road to Monteromano and Civitella Cesi) are the ruins of two Etruscan towns from the archaic period. There is also a vast Etruscan necropolis in the area dating to the seventh-fifth century BC.