Volterra

Volterra is a town in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is in the province of Pisa. Volterra was once one of the 12 cities in Etruria. In the middle ages it was an independent city until it was conquered by the Florentines and then the Medicis. It has its own cathedral, and is built on top of an ancient volcanic hill.

A view of Volterra

Coat of arms

History

The city was a Neolithic settlement and an important Etruscan center. It became a "municipium" (a type of Roman city) in the Roman Age. Volterra was attacked and controlled by Florence many times. When the Florentian Republic fell in 1530, Volterra came under the control of the Medici family. It later became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

The original Etruscan city walls remain in parts, and the remains of the Roman baths, aqueduct and amphitheatre (arena). Visitors to Volterra have to leave their cars outside the town walls, in car parks.

Important monuments and places

The Roman Theatre.

• Roman theatre (1st century BC), discovered in the 1950s.
• Piazza dei Priori
• Palazzo dei Priori
• Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta.
• Medicean Fortress (Maschio)
• Guarnacci Etruscan Museum

The Medici Villa di Spedaletto is located outside the city in direction of Lajatico. Also near the city, in the Valle Bona area, are excavations of Etruscan tombs.

Sister cities

• Mende, France
• Wunsiedel, Germany

Gallery

• 
  Short frame of Volterra

Other websites

• Town web site
• Volterra Photos Archived 2010-03-16 at the Wayback Machine