Tunnel-like walkways take visitors back to the times of the Etruscans, who predated the Romans.

WSJ: Unforgettable Trips Abroad: A Farmhouse in Italy, Al Petrogallo

From their base in what is today Tuscany, the Etruscans were active traders who knew and imbibed the artistic traditions and techniques of Egypt, Cyprus and other countries around the eastern Mediterranean rim.

WSJ: The Imaginary Made Nearly Read | The Chimera of Arezzo | Masterpiece by Judith H. Dobrzynski

All around the stunning, perched towns of Pitigliano, Sovana, and Sorano run hidden hiking trails carved from volcanic rock by the pre-Roman Etruscans.

FORBES: The Other Tuscany