Enveloped by an imperturbable air, by the silence of the two valleys surrounding it, the valleys of Era and Cecina, Volterra rises on the summit of a hill little more than 500 metres high. From the state road 68, a visitor is met with a fantastic view: a town that dominates the landscape, framed by the greenness of the countryside and the clay terrains.
The town, a municipality of the Pisa inlands, know for its crafts production and the working of alabaster encloses inside its double wall circle, a village rich with history testifying the passage of civilisations and cultures in various epochs.
History and magnificence of other times transport the visitor's mind through the town's roads, shrouded by peace and tranquillity. Inhabited since the Neolithic age, in the VIII century the town is in touch with the Etruscan civilisation which leaves Volterra with many relics: the Arco gate; the Acropolis, where the archaeological park and the wall circle rises today, some parts of it still visible.
The Tusci's civilisation is followed by the Roman, the concrete remains of which are still very visible today: from the thermal buildings to the Vallebona theatre. The roman's domination continued until almost the end of the V century AD, when once the Empire fell, Volterra became a Bishop seigniory.
The city of alabaster also shows a strong medieval imprint, as many of the buildings, starting from the town planning itself, were built in this historical period. The central square of Volterra is a must-see, with its Priori and Pretorio palaces; Buonparenti and Buonaguidi's towers and the cathedral in San Giovanni square, built around the XII century, and holding magnificent renaissance and medieval frescoes, right behind the town hall.
Through the narrow ways that unfold in the centre of the Pisan town there are also various palaces of the Renaissance period: palazzo Minacci Solaini, palazzo Inghirami and the beautiful Medicean fortress. Volterra is only 70 kilometres from Florence, 65 from Pisa and just over 40 from the Tyrrhenian coast.
June.2002
Municipality of Volterra
