Volterra

Volterra, thanks to its strategic position, offers some of the most astonishing views of natural landscapes in Tuscany.

It was one of the “twelve cities” of the Etruscan League known by the name of Velathri. Believed to have been continuously inhabited as a city since at least the end of the 8th century BC, during the Roman period it became a dominating power over the surrounding territory.
In the Middle Ages, it became a city-state. Walking through its very enchanting historical center, we can still see the medieval characteristics of the town.

The tour includes a visit to Porta all’Arco, an excellent example of Etruscan-Roman architecture, the Cathedral, Baptistery, Piazza dei Priori, the square representing the political center of Volterra dominated by the most ancient Town Hall of Tuscany, medieval tower houses (case-torri), and Vallebuona, an archeological site with well-preserved ruins of the Roman theater and baths.

It is possible to extend this itinerary to include a visit to the Museo Etrusco Guarnacci. The museum houses one of the most beautiful and important collections of Etruscan art in Italy (entrance fee) and the Pinacoteca Comunale, the painting gallery with noteworthy Tuscan Renaissance works of art such as The Deposition by Rosso Fiorentino (entrance fee).