Driving from Florence to Volterra, Etruscan Town at The Top of A Hill

March 31, 2011 - PRLog -- Volterra can be reached by car from Florence in approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, all you have to do is to choose your favourite Florence car service and take a drive through the countryside.
Take the SP4 and follow it through Montespertoli, Castelfiorentino and Gambassi Terme until you see the ancient walls that enclose the historic center of this fascinating town.
Volterra was known among the Etruscans as Velahtri and among the Romans as Volaterrae, it was a Neolithic settlement and an important Etruscan center until it became a municipium at the time of Rome.
Volterra was also the bishop's residence in the 5th century and a very powerful episcopal center during the 12th century, after the decline of the episcopate, the town was conquered by the Florentines until it came under the control of the Medici family and followed the history of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

Top 7 Volterra attractions are:

THE ROMAN THEATER, FORUM AND BATHS
The construction of the Theater started in the 1st century BC, behind it are the remains of the Roman baths and the Roman forum.
PIAZZA DEI PRIORI
One of the most impressive squares in Tuscany (Palazzo dei Priori is also the region's oldest town hall).
CATHEDRAL AND BAPTISTRY
The cathedral dates back to 1120 and it was erected on the site of a previous church. it has a Romanesque facade while the interior instead was changed in the 16th century and presents a richly decorated ceiling, several chapels with frescoes and wood panels and a marble pulpit which dates back to the 12th century. The Baptistery was built in the 13th century and its facade is decorated with green and white marble.
MEDIEVAL WALLS AND GATES
Six gates provide access through the walls and date from the 13th to the 16th centuries. Porta San Francesco still has traces of its original frescoes and from Porta San Felice you can enjoy the panorama of the surrounding countryside.
ETRUSCAN SITES
The Etruscan acropolis is located at the highest point of Volterra, the archeological site is part of a park that includes the foundations of two Etruscan temples, a system of cisterns and the ruins of a Medieval tower. Some Etruscan tombs can be found in several places and near San Felice font are also the remains of the Etruscan walls.
MUSEUMS
The Guarnucci Etruscan Museum (a large collection of artifacts housed in Palazzo dei Priori), The Civic Museum and Art Gallery (paintings and art works from the Middle Ages to Modern Times), The Museum of Sacred Art in the Bishop's Palace.
MEDICEA FORTRESS
This beautiful fortress is now a penitentiary and it is located at the top of the hill.

Volterra is famous throughout the world for its age-old tradition of alabaster carving; lately it has become famous also for being the home of the Volturi in the New Moon book, the second chapter of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer.

Volterra is the perfect Tuscany tour destination for families and couples, if you travel with kids don't forget to pay a visit to The Ecomuseum of Alabaster, located in the former Town Hall.

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Caterina Pomini