Volterra

The streets that lead the traveler to Volterra are hugely fascinating, isolated among the Cècina and Era Valleys, at the center of a vast territory, semi-populated and in large part rural, characterized by considerable mining resources as well as by the incredible phenomenon of erosion. The symbol of the zone is, in fact, the so-called "Balze", spectacular rocky precipices that cut into the sides of the hills, in particular the one on which Volterra rises, heir of an ancient Etruscan settlement founded between the 5th and 4th centuries B.C. (Velathri) and then a Roman municipality. Together with the nearby San Gimignano, it is considered one of the best-conserved epic towns in Italy and one of the most important artistic centers in Tuscany. Even if the antiquities' footprints remain copious - beginning with the long Etruscan city wall, the powerful Porta dell'Arco (or Etruscan Arch) that today creates access to the town, and the scenic Roman theater - it is the Middle Ages in every way that strongly conforms the appearance of the town. Known for the traditional artistic and artisan works in alabaster, Volterra creates an immediate impact for the color of the homes, one moment ocher, the next gray, made from local sandstone (called "panchina"). The heart of communal Volterra is the marvelous Piazza dei Priori, closed in by powerful and refined buildings, including Palazzo dei Priori and its picturesque pentagonal embattled tower, Palazzo Vescovile, Palazzo Incontri, and Palazzo Pretorio to whose right rises the Podestà Tower. Completed in the mid-1200's, Palazzo dei Priori is the oldest communal building in Tuscany: the façade, crowned with swallow-tailed merlons, is ornated by glazed terracotta, stone, or marble plaques, by various coats of arms, and by pointed and Romanesque double lancet windows; inside you can visit the "Sala di Consiglio" and "Sala della Giunta", which both hold decorations, paintings, and frescoes of notable interest and whose windows have a beautiful view of Piazza dei Priori.
From Palazzo dei Priori, across Via Turazza, you reach Piazza San Giovanni, where the Duomo and, on the opposite side, the Baptistry rise.
A particularly attractive zone is that of the northwest quarters, called "Incrociata dei Buonparenti" because it is formed by the meeting of the streets, Via Roma, Via Buonparenti, Via Ricciarelli-San Lino, and Via dei Sarti: here you can admire the 13th-century tower-houses and other lovely medieval and even 15th-16th century-buildings. Then, following along Via Don Minzoni, you go up onto the top of Volterra hill, where the Fortress stands out, on a plateau of the ancient Etruscan-Roman acropolises and which dominates every scene of Enrico Fiumi Park.
The Fortress makes up one of the most renowned examples of Renaissance military architecture in Italy, but unfortunately it cannot be visited.
Other important sites in this extraordinary city of art are, in the direction of the Balze, the Church of Santa Chiara and the Abbadia of Saints Giusto and Clemente, founded in teh 11th century by the Camaldolesi, from which you can also enjoy a breathtaking view of the underlying erosion. Absolutely not to be missed is the previously mentioned Roman amphitheater, located a little outside of the city wall, a very fascinating place.