The site of which the ancients have only passed down its name in its Greek version Pyrgoi (“the towers”) was one of the three ports of the Etruscan Caere (currently Cerveteri). The place was renowned throughout the Mediterranean world due to the presence of a sactuary dedicated to the female divinity Leucothea – Ilithyia , the Etruscan Uni, which was plundered by Dionysus of Siracuse in 384 BC. The port was connected to the city of Caere by a road approximately 13 km. long and 10 metres wide.

Once it became a maritime colony, probably in the 3rd C. BC, Pyrgi retained its function as a port, and was still in operation at the time of Trajan, as a berth for small boats, and very probably right up to the age of Hadrian.

On the Roman remains the Castellum Fortress of Sancte Severae was built in Medieval times, and after a series of vicissitudes, at the end of the 15th. C. AD. the castle became part of the Hospital of Santo Spirito, right up to the first years of the Eighties of last century, when it became a property of the Municipality of Santa Marinella.

Starting from the second half of the Fifties of last century, following the finding of numerous terracotta pots, a systematic exploration of the area was undertaken that was to produce amazing discoveries: as many as 30 excavation campaigns have enabled the certain identification of the Pyrgi site, the sanctuary and the market associated with it.

In 1964 the famous Pyrgi Lamine were discovered, with Etruscan and Phoenician inscriptions, dedicated to the goddess Astarte. These are three documents inscribed on gold foil, of extreme historical and linguistic interest, considered to be first written Italian historical source. They are currently preserved at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia, in Rome.