 | Volterra Off the Beaten Path | Tips 1 - 10 of 13 |  |
Popular Off the Beaten Path | Other Off the Beaten Path Tips | All Tips (13) The famous tourist magnet of San Gimignano is located 30 km east of Volterra and is therefore a great destination for a day trip while you are staying in the area.
San Gimignano is a town of towers - though only 14 of 72 remain these days. It is a fabulous sight when you catch a glimpse of it from a distance on your way there - looks like a mini city atop a cliff.
This is a very popular place, so best to arrive early if you want to get a parking spot anywhere near the main gate! We headed there first thing, got a great park, and managed to check out quite a bit of the town before the large tourist groups descended.
Highlights of our visit included climbing to the top of the tallest tower in town, located in the Palazzo Comunale, for amazing views; and sampling what is claimed to be some of the best gelato in Italy, whilst sitting in Piazza della Cisterna by the 13th century cistern in its centre.
For more information, check out my San Gimignano page. Leave a Comment
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Around the 8th century BC, Volterra became an important city of the new Etruscan civilization. At the time it was known as Velathri, bing one of the twelve major centres of Etruria, which was religious and political confederation of city-states. In fact, the archaeological evidence suggests that Volterra gradually became the dominant city of the confederation. Volterra was ruled by a Lucumo, who was both a military and a religious leader.
In the 4th century, however, Volterra became a confederate city in the expanding territory dominated by the Romans. During the period of Roman-Etruscan coexistence, many important monuments were erected in Volterra, including the buildings of the acropolis and the temple near the Roman amphitheatre. Leave a Comment
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Volterra is what I would term a fringe town. It's not quite on the beaten path but some tourists are aware of the place and make their way to it.
Having missed out on two Etruscan displays, including Cortona's reportedly good museum (because I was lost again and arrived 10 minutes before they closed), I was determined to see at least one. I was not disappointed, Museo Guarnacci has much to recommend it, including multi-lingual audio guides, friendly staff and a display that lived up to its promise. With over 600 cinerary urns to choose from they can afford to show you the best and, even some in odd ways.
It was interesting to note that most were set patterns and so many are just recurring themes along Grecian lines. One of the most notable exceptions is pictured here, this being one of their famed exhibits.
An extraordinary tale surrounds their lift. "But they haven't got one", I hear you cry. That is true, the problem being that when they started excavating so they could put a lift in for the handicapped an ancient road and ruins were unearthed, a relatively common problem in Italy. Now they don't have a lift but an interesting sidelight that is covered in glass along with artifacts from the tomb of Guerriero, a general from the Bronze Age, also unearthed. Leave a Comment
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Volterra is not very far from San Gimignana and it is easy to see both in one day. About 45 minutes by car on lovely winding country roads. These two cities are very different in character, so the contrast is interesting. Unlike Volterra which is silent and lonely, San Gimignana is bustling with energy, and captivating with it's many towers. Lovely shops and restaurants as well. Leave a Comment
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I think that all the small streets are having the most charm in Italian cities...... You sure can find them in Volterra too........ Leave a Comment
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It was wonderful to discover that Tuscany is full of enormous fields of sunflowers from end of June onwards, an amazing sight really lifts your heart and makes everything seem super sunny. Leave a Comment
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It seems that many Italian cities have their special flatiron buildings.... This in Volterra is on the edge over the Anfiteatro....... Leave a Comment
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The scenery around Volterra is very lovely. Take your time driving and you'll come across some lovely vistas. Leave a Comment
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Porta Fiorentina is an Etruscan gataway restored in the 11th century and doing part of the medieval wall. You can see it walking toward the Roman Theatre. Leave a Comment
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