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Volterra Volterra, Known to the Ancient Etruscans As Velathri Or Vlathri and to the Romans As Volaterrae, Is a Town and a Comune in Tuscany

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Volterra Volterra, Known to the Ancient Etruscans As Velathri Or Vlathri and to the Romans As Volaterrae, Is a Town and a Comune in Tuscany Volterra Volterra, known to the ancient Etruscans as Velathri or Vlathri and to the Romans as Volaterrae, is a town and a comune in Tuscany. The town was a Bronze Age settlement of the Proto-Villanovan culture, and an important Etruscan centre, one of the "twelve cities" of the Etruscan League. The site is believed to have been continuously inhabited as a city since at least the end of the 8th century BC. It became a municipium allied to Rome at the end of the 3rd century BC. The city was a bishop's residence in the 5th century, and its episcopal power was affirmed during the 12th century. With the decline of the episcopate and the discovery of local alum deposits, Volterra became a place of interest for the Republic of Florence, whose forces conquered it. Florentine rule was not always popular, and opposition occasionally broke into rebellions which were quelled by Florence. When the Republic of Florence fell in 1530, Volterra came under the control of the Medici family and subsequently its history followed that of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.4 The Roman Theatre The Main Sights 1. Roman Theatre of Volterra, 1st century BC, excavated in the 1950s; 2. Piazza dei Priori, the main square, a fine example of medieval Tuscan town squares; 3. Palazzo dei Priori, the town hall located on Piazza dei Priori, construction begun in 1208 and finished in 1257; 4. Pinacoteca e museo civico di Volterra (Art Gallery) in Palazzo Minucci-Solaini. Founded in 1905, the gallery consists mostly of works by Tuscan artists from the 14th to the 17th centuries. It includes a Deposition (Jesus being placed on the Cross) by Rosso Fiorentino; 5. Volterra Cathedral. It was enlarged in the 13th century after an earthquake. It houses a ciborium and some angels by Mino da Fiesole, a notable wood Deposition (1228), a masterwork of Romanesque sculpture and the Sacrament Chapel, with paintings by Santi di Tito, Giovanni Balducci and Agostino Veracini. In the centre of the vault are fragments of an 'Eternal Father' by Niccolò Circignani. Also noteworthy is the Addolorata Chapel, with a terracotta group attributed to Andrea della Robbia and a fresco of ‘Riding Magi’ by Benozzo Gozzoli. In the nearby chapel, dedicated to the Most Holy Name of Jesus, is a table with Christ's monogram, allegedly painted by Bernardino of Siena. The rectangular bell tower is from 1493; 6. The Baptistery of San Giovanni was, built in the second half of the 13th century; 7. Fortezza Medicea (Medicean Fortress), built in the 1470s, is now a prison housing the noted restaurant, Fortezza Medicea restaurant. 8. The Guarnacci Etruscan Museum, with thousands of funeral urns dating back to the Hellenistic and Archaic periods. Its main attractions are the bronze statuette "Ombra della sera" ("Shadow of the Night”'), and the sculpted effigy, "Urna degli Sposi" ("Urn of the Spouses”) of an Etruscan couple in terra cotta. 9. The well-preserved Etruscan Walls of Volterra (3rd-2nd centuries BC), and Porta Diana gates. 10. The Medici Villa di Spedaletto, outside the city, in the direction of Lajatico. There are excavations of Etruscan tombs in the Valle Bona area. As one wanders through the main street of Volterra one is struck by the large numbers of workshops where alabaster figures are created in great numbers and which are sold in many of the shops on the same street. There is also a profusion of ice cream shops, cafes and restaurants. It is well worth a visit, although you need to be prepared for a longish walk uphill after parking the car, outside the impressive city walls. Sorry for the gap between this and the previous newsletter. We have been preparing for a new heating system as we are not planning our usual jaunt to Italy for Christmas and we are rewarding ourselves with improved heating. This has caused a rearrangement of parts of the house which has occupied quite a bit of my time and energy. It's a relief to get back to things Italian. Museum We hope that you are all keeping well and are watching out for the imminent arrival of the university students, with a potential risk of more Coronavirus. Stay safe. Best wishes Gerald Panorama .
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