Volterra is one of the most beautiful and untouristed of the great Tuscan hill-top towns. Situated in the middle of the triangle formed by the cities of Pisa, Siena and Florence, it is the perfect base for any Tuscan vacation. Far from heavily-trafficked roads and industrial areas, Volterra is surrounded by rolling patchwork hills with fields of grain and woodlands.

On clear days you can easily see the sea, with the islands of Elba and Corsica on the horizon. The Tyhrennian sea is about 24 miles to the west of Volterra and by car it takes only about 45 minutes to get to lovely public beaches with dunes and pine groves such as Donoratico, Marina di Bibbona and Baratti (which is just a bit farther.) Skiing areas are just an hour away.

Volterra itself is full of wonderful possibilities for exploration and living "la dolce vita". One could easily pay a prolonged visit and never venture out of town.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF VOLTERRA

The city boasts over 3,500 years of history, having initially been settled by the Villanovians and later becoming one of the most important Etruscan cities until it joined the Roman league of cities around 260 BC. The city thrived under Roman rule, with the construction of extensive aqueducts and numerous public buildings. What remains today are the Baths of St. Felix, the Baths of Vallebuona and the open-air Roman Theater built in honor of the Emperor Augustus. The city experienced a period of rebirth from the 12th century onward as it gradually gained independence from the Holy Roman Emperor and the Church -- perhaps the most explicit symbol of this movement towards the formation of a free town is the construction, begun in 1207, of the town hall, the first built in all of Italy. In this same period the city walls were rebuilt to better defend against neighboring towns and numerous homes and public buildings were erected, giving the town the intimate medieval configuration that is still evident today. Volterra was a rich and powerful town during the Renaissance, its prosperity deriving from the salt, alum and copper mines which marked the surrounding territory. Salt was one of the most valued trading commodities and became even more valuable in Tuscany when the nearby Papal States levied an exorbitant tax on its trade. Textiles were the source of wealth of the growing merchant classes and alum was necessary for the dyeing process of these textiles. The abundance of these resources and the political stability that reigned in Volterra made it one of the dominant Tuscan cities. But its independence did not last long. In 1472 Lorenzo the Magnificent and his notorious general Federico da Montefeltro (who, after losing an eye in battle, cut off the ridge of his nose to have better peripheral vision) sacked the city and established Florentine rule. In the following years the Florentines built their colossal Fortress in the middle of the city for defensive reasons and also as a symbol of their dominance over Volterra. With the loss of its independence to Florence Volterra passed a period or relative obscurity. A positive consequence of this decline in power and consequent lack of civic constructions, however, is that the city still retains aspects from each period of it's long and rich history.