Volterra is a beautiful hilltop town situated in the heart of Tuscany, 30 kilometers from the sea and it allows a far reaching view over the beautiful Tuscan landscapes of Val d'Era and Val di Cecina. With approx. 8,000 inhabitants Volterra rises 541 meters above the sea level, and is ideally situated in the middle of hills rich in pyrite, silver, iron, copper and zinc ore. It was built on a steep hill and by-passed by the main communication routes, resulting in its isolation over the centuries. Inhabited since Neolithic times, this city saw a great expansion during the 5th and 4th centuries BC under the name Velathin as it was one of the 12 Etruscan League cities. During that time its population reached 25,000. Defended by its natural position and unassailable fortifications, the Etruscan Velathri registered a remarkable development in its economy based on the mineral deposits and agriculture. The last of the Etruscan League cities, Volterra was forced to recognize the supremacy of Rome in the 3rd century B.C. after the battle of Lake Vadimone (283 B.C.) and became part of the Italic Confederacy in 260 B.C. changing its name to Volaterrae.A powerful Etruscan town, it later (12th–13th cent.) was a free commune and passed to Florence in 1472. The fortress on the Piano di Castello was ordered by Lorenzo the Magnificent in 1472 to control the Volterra and the Siena territory and became a symbol of Florentine rule. In 1530 in a last desperate attempt to acquire autonomy Volterra rebelled against the Florentines war against the Medici’s, allied with the latter but was again defeated and sacked by Ferrucci. When the Medici resumed power in Florence, Volterra lost its independence to the Duchy and then to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and began the descent to a slow decline until the 18th century. At the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century alabaster and the agriculture trade began to rise, the roads were recommisioned and the urban centre built. Today tourism is gradually becoming one of the main economic resources of Volterra, with historical monuments that illustrate three thousand years of history.

The inhabitants of Volterra are second to none in working with alabaster, which has made their city famous the world over.

Places to Visit

Porta dell Arco

Gate of the arch, the entrance to the city, with its original door jambs made from large stone blocks, immediately offers a splendid example of Etruscan engineering, despite later transformations.

Piazza dei Priori

Piazza dei Priori is one of the most harmonious medieval squares in Tuscany, retaining its original fascination, not with standing subsequent additions. Looking out onto the square is Palazzo dei Priori which is the oldest town hall in Tuscany and dates from the year 1200.

The Ecomuseum for Alabaster

Ecomuseum is being set up in a wing of the Civic Museum in the Minucci Tower. It will illustrate the various techniques used in working alabaster, house some of the most important historic objects and display the best work of local artisans.

The Etruscan Museum

The Etruscan Museum "Mario Guarnacci" is one of the most important collections of Etruscan remains in Italy with 600 cinerary urns in addition to burial equipment, objects in alabaster and terracotta as well as relics in ceramic and bronze, jewelry, cameos, coins and glass items.

Fortezza

Fortress - which is formed by two forts, the Rocca Vecchia and the Rocca Nuova, the Old and the New Forts, built by Lorenzo the Magnificent, in the shape of a quadrangle with a pinnacle towering above the park. Today it is a maximum security prison known for its theatre company established by the prisoners who perform during Volterra`s annual international theatrical review Volterra Teatro.

Duomo

Work on Volterra`s cathedral began in the 1200s and continued intermittently over the next two centuries. To the right of the High Altar stands a Romanesque wood-carving of The Deposition, 1228. The Altar itself is flanked by graceful marble angels carved by Mino da Fiesole in 1471; they face same artist’s elegant tabernacle, carved with figures of Faith, Hope and Charity. The nave, remodeled in 1581, has an unusual coffered ceiling with stucco figures of bishops and saints painted in rich blue and gold. The Pulpit, in the middle of the nave, dates to 1584, but was created using sculptural relief from the late 12th and early 13th centuries. The Last Supper panel, facing into the nave and thought to be the work of the Guglielmo Pisano, has a number of humorous details including a monster snapping at the heels of Judas. More sculptures are housed in the oratory off the north aisle, near the main entrance.

Teatro Romano

Theater situated just outside the city walls, the ancient Roman theatre, dating to the first century BC, is one of the best-preserved in Italy. Enough of the original structure has survived to enable an almost complete reconstruction.

Necropoli

Tombs in the area are evidence of the former presence of the Etruscans. These are different to those in Tarquinia, Ceveteri, Chuisi and Populonia in that the hypogeum are not decorated with pictures or sculptures, even though they are equally interesting from a structural point of view. In fact they are dug out of the same sand used to make the Volterra hills and do not extend upwards. Of particular interest are the two tombs from the Hellenic Age, which probably belonged to the Gens Calcina at Marmini di Sotto. One has a circular shape with a pillar; the other has a square vestibule onto which open four funerary chambers complete with benches for the cinerary urns. Another interesting tomb is near the Church of St.Just and consists of a few rooms, carved out of the ground with a lower area to hold the urns, held up by pillars made from the same rock. This tomb is said to be attributed to the 5th century BC.

From Volterra you can easily reach all the interesting places in Tuscany, Florence 72 km, Pisa 64 km, Siena 50 km, San Gimignano 29 km. Around Volterra are numerous world-famous cultural monuments and a few less known attractions.

For more information visit

• Comune Volterra