Archaeological area of the proto-historic necropolis of Via Santo Stefano (VII-II century B.C.)
This extraordinary necropolis, rich in traces of the Paleoveneti civilisation is located in Via Santo Stefano, in one of the city’s historical districts. This is the most important archaeological site relative to the civilisation of the ancient population of the Veneti, that precisely in Este constituted their first stable settlement. The foundation of the necropolis dates back to the Bronze Age (VIII-VII century B.C.) and its funerary function was active for many centuries. The excavations have brought to light more than 150 tombs, which testify to how this cemetery area has been in use without interruption from the VIII to the II century B.C. The burial sites have a characteristic of overlapping that has engaged archaeological campaigns for many years in the reconstruction of the chronology of the burials. During the oldest phase (VIII – mid VII century B.C.) the funerary structures were characterised by small mounds of earth bordered by circles in boulders of trachyte. Each mound has one or two tombs: the cremated remains of the dead were placed inside perishable containers or boxes of Scaglia Rossa stone from the Euganean Hills and often the burial places contained several individuals constituting actual “family” tombs. During the next phase (mid VII – mid VI century B.C.) the necropolis was enlarged, with structures delimited by large stone slabs. Toward the mid VI century B.C. there was a radical change in the organisation of the graveyard area: in the northern sector there was a large tumulus surrounded with stone slabs and trachyte cippuses, that reveals a sense of monumentality and a complexity that can be considered as new. Toward the mid V century B.C. the tombs were concentrated in the south-western area in nuclei distinguished by the same orientation. The last phase of the civilisation of the ancient Veneti belongs the most famous tomb of the necropolis del Ricovero: it is the tomb of Nerka Trostiaia, dating back to the beginning of the III century B.C.

It can be visited externally in autonomy.