During the 9th and 8th centuries BC central Italy shared a largely uniform culture known as the Villanovan.
By the 7th century BC a distinctive Etruscan culture had emerged. The twelve major centres of the Etruscan League shared one religious centre at Fanum Voltomnae.
During the 7th century the Etruscans expanded their territory southward and colonized Campania.
By 500 BC the Etruscans had enlarged their territory northwards as far as the Po valley and the Adriatic.
During the 5th century BC the Etruscans lost most of their colonies in the north to the Gauls and those in the south to the Latins and Greeks.
Between 396 BC and the end of the 2nd century BC the Romans conquered Etruria.
