Volterra
Built on a plateau surrounded by volcanic hills, VOLTERRA seems gloomy, a town cut off from the world - which is surprising, against the bucolic atmosphere of the region. Etruscan Volterra (Velathri) was one of the oldest and most important commercial centers in Italy, perfectly prospering thanks to this, that it was lying in a hard-to-reach place and had deposits of minerals. This provided the city with a good experience of Roman times and the Middle Ages. However, the cut off from the world later contributed to its downfall. W 1360 r. the city fell under the control of Florence and was unable to keep up with the changing trade conditions. At the same time, Volterra itself began to collapse; defensive walls and houses slid to the east from the log (cliffs), which greet travelers on the road from Pisa with a dramatic sight.
The city now covers less than a third of its ancient area. It is essentially medieval in nature, with cobblestone and stone streets, gloomy palaces and narrow gates. In summer it lives almost exclusively from tourism and every second store sells alabaster products (Etruscan remains). However, it is moody enough, that it would be worth visiting, and it also offers great views, good walking areas and important Etruscan museum.
City
Volterra is almost exclusively a walled old town, so it is not difficult to find your way around. Buses arrive in Piazza XX Settembre in the southern part of the castle (there is also a car park), from where you walk five minutes to the central Piazza dei Priori, with tourist office around the corner on via G. Turazza 2.
Wokół Square of the Priors
Piazza dei Priori is almost entirely medieval. There is a town hall next to it, Priory palace, built in the thirteenth century. and reputed to be the oldest city palace in Italy. Perhaps it served as a model for the Florentine Palazzo Vecchio, though one might get the opposite impression, because the facade is inlaid with Florentine medallions; the unusual pentagonal tower is commonly known as Torre del Porcellino (Piglet's Tower), from an animal carved on the front. Inside the palace, on the first floor, is a giant fresco of The Annunciation of Orcagna.
The cathedral square a block away looks neglected, with a crumbling baptistery (closed for security reasons) and the unfinished facade of the cathedral. Architecture of the baptistery, built on the site of a pagan temple, it is a tribute to the Renaissance. So are the churches in Pisa, the building is lined with black and white marble stripes. The cathedral is a conglomerate of earlier styles. The best of the works of art found there is the 13th-century polychrome sculpture of the Entombment in the southern chapel (currently renewed) and the fresco The Three Kings by Benozzo Gozzoli, in the chapel to the left of the main entrance.
Other works collected from local churches, including these, that have fallen off the ball, are exhibited at the Museo di Arte Sacra located in the old Bishop's Palace on via Roma and at the Pinacoteca Communale, via del Sarti 1; both are right outside Piazza dei Priori, open daily 10.00-12.00 i 15.00-18.00 (Sacred Art zamkn. Wed). The biggest attraction of the former is the bust of St.. Linus, the Volterra-born successor of Saint. Peter as Pope. The second branch contains a good harvest from the territory of the province, and the cost of the ticket is worth incurring due to the Annunciation of Signorelli and the Photo from the Cross of Ross Fiorentina.
Departing from Piazza dei Priori via Porta dell Arco runs down to Arco Etrusco, Etruscan gate from the third century. p.n.e., built of cyclopean stone; three blackened and eroded lumps from the outside are probably images of Etruscan gods. The gate narrowly avoided being destroyed by the Germans during the last war, during a ten-day battle between the guerrillas (who were based here) and the Nazis.