Like a golden pearl in shell, the fascinating walled town of Volterra outstands on a sea of rolling green hills, in the heart of Tuscany countryside.
Majestically located on the ridge of a plyocene hill, it offers a fantastic view on the Era and Cecina valleys, down to the Ocean which is twenty-five miles far away.
Between the oldest Tuscan cities, it is the only one bearing witness to three thousand years of history. It was inhabited since at least 1.000 BC and developped as a powerful commercial city state named ‘Velhatri’ thanks to Etruscan people.
Parts of the Etruscan cyclopic walls, including the most preserve military arch gate, ‘Porta all’Arco’, together with amazing remains kept in the local Etruscan Museum Guarnacci – one for all, the enigmatic bronze statuette knowned as the ‘Evening Shadow’- are signs of its prosperity and wealth in the past.
As soon as the Romans were able to conquer Velhatri with much effort, they changed the name into ‘Volaterre’, built a theatre and thermal baths, which are still very well preserved. However, it is the medievl atmosphere to preval, together with the golden yellow colour of the tuff stone which was used for the constructions: disclosing you a labyrinth of narrow alleys and widing lanes sided by tower houses and beautiful Renaissance buildings, bringing you to the heart of the town, that is ‘Piazza dei Priori’ and Piazza San Giovanni with the Cathedral and the Baptistery, respectively the political and religious centre of Volterra; as well as to the top of the hill where you find the acropolis) and the Rocca Medicea, a fortress built by Florentine people soon after they conquered the city in 1472.
Last but not least, Volterra is worth a visit also for its exclusive ‘botteghe di alabastro’, alabaster workshops, where master artisan transform a raw material into beautiful works of art. By the second half of Eighteenth century, thanks to some far-sighted local ‘travelers’, the ‘stone of light’ became an important source of income to Volterra. Recently only a few native artists keep on with this very ancient tradition and  you will have the opportunity to visit our favorite studios in town!