Volterra Things to Do

If you're even the slightest bit interested in Etruscans, you won't want to miss the Museo Etrusco Guarnacci, which was founded in 1761 to house the collection of a nobleman with an interest in antiquities. Located in a former private residence, the Palazzo Desideri-Tangassi, it has a stellar collection of burial urns and a number of other items of interest. The urns are sized to receive cremated human remains; the unique feature is that the stone cask is topped by a sculpture of the body entombed therein. There is considerable debate about whether the funerary urns were just mass-produced (a whole series of veiled ladies or thoughtful gentlemen), perhaps with a few identifying touches added. Certainly there is a similarity of style to the urns dating to a particular century (hand placement, decorative touches, etc.) but some of these sculptures have so much personality that I can't really believe they failed to capture the decedents.

If you've seen more cinerary urns than you can take, just keep going -- there is also a moderately large collection of Etruscan jewelry, gems, and even armor. And don't miss Ombra della Sera, a sculpture which reminds many people of modern-day Brancusi.

This was also the first museum where I saw an extensive collection of coins. Although many of them are of less hoary lineage, they dated from periods where I knew substantially more about the history (Biblical, Roman and otherwise) than I knew about the Etruscans, so I was entranced. Of course that's part of the charm of Volterra itself, as it captures millenia of historic architecture.

The museum isn't large, so even a very interested observer can canvass the collection in less than two hours. A small gift shop can supply postcards, t-shirts, and scholarly books about the Etruscans.

Opening hours: Open every day (excl. 1/1 and 25/12)
Mar 16 - Nov 1: 9am-7pm
Nov 2 - Mar 15: 8.30am-1.45pm

Whether or not you agree that the Palazzo Viti is "one of the finest private residential buildings in Italy," you'll surely agree that it is well worth a visit should you happen to be in Volterra. Twelve of the rooms are open to the public, and they are chock-a-block full of interesting things: furniture, porcelains, alabaster collections, and art from all over the world. I was particular struck by the Oriental collections. Nearly all of the rooms are covered with exquisite frescoes. Guides are provided for self-tours (in several languages). A particularly nice touch is that, as part of the entry tariff, "guests" are invited down to the wine cellar/bistro after the tour, to imbibe some of the local wines and appropriate hors d'oeuvres (ours happened to be olives and lovely little slices of bruschetta).

The Palazzo is open from 10:00-13:00 and 14:30-18:30. However, when it is closed, you can make an appointment for a special tour by consulting the Consorzio Turistico Volterra, 0588 86099, or the Associazione Pro Volterra, 0588 86150.

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Regular readers of my homepage and tips know that I am an American Episcopalian (Anglican elsewhere in the world). I'm reasonably sure that the closest Episcopal church to Volterra is St. James' in Florence -- which is about two hours of hilly roads away. So I crossed the aisle, so to speak, and there was a plenitude of options on the Roman Catholic side.

Volterra was the birthplace of St. Linus, the first pope after the Apostle Peter, and "conserves the memory and the heitage of its saints: Justus, Clement, Octavian and its martyrs Saints Attinia and Greciniana."

La Chiesa de San Michele has a long history. There is reference to it in a 987 episcopal bull, but many of the art works contained within it date from 1259 through 1987 (when the church was restored and painted), though much of the work done during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries has disappeared.

Note particularly the frescoes; the first altar to the right of the entrance is dedicated to the Madonna of the Redemption, and contains a fresco of Mary nursing the infant Jesus, a work from the fifteenth century surrounded by a canvas painted sometime in the mid-seventeenth century by Guiseppe Arrighi, representing St. Luke, St. Anthony the Abbot, St. Giocanni di Matha and two redeemed slaves.

Also, the presbytery, on the left of the entrance, contains a marble tabernacle with a beautiful glazed terra cotta Madonna with Child by Giovanni della Robbia.

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CAlled Fortessa Medicea. There are two different periods of this fort being built, and called the old and new Rocca. It is connected by a curtain of corbels and the four corner towers are round. The old was built in 1342 by the Duke of Athens. The new add-on was 1472 by Lorenzo the Magnificent. There is one main central tower in the middle of the fortress. A decorative, but defensive arch form around the top pinnacle keeps the attackers from climbing the top. No admittance because it really is a prison now that houses guess who. Toward the back part of the fort/castle is a path and it leads to a grotto; dark inside. You also can walk down the back path to the bottom of the city and end up on the main highway.

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There are a lot of museums for such a small town. The gammet is the Etruscan and Civic museums, but also there are a couple of palaces to visits of parts of the inside. Palazzo Incontri is at the front part of entering the town, the rest are closer to the rear going down the main via. The Civic museum is combined with the art works of the town. Etruscan relics/artifacts are in the Guarnaci museum dating back form 1761, and named after the founder/collector.

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Most of the buildings are of modest era, and not as much wealth was prevalent in the community. The structures are mostly form 12th-13th century, and more of the walls were added then. The original walls were built in the 4th century BC by Etruscans. They are 4 miles around the city and a well defended fortress due to the peak on top of a hill at 1770 feet. The cathedral was consecrated in 1120 and added twice in size through to 1576.
The Etruscans first used this point as a high defense and the city was built in 7-th century BC. The population at one time was twice what it is now at 20,000. The main Piazza dei Priori has the Pallazzo Priori, the oldest town hall in Italy built from 1208-54, and a number of surrounding buildings. It is one of the best preserved squares around. At the top of the street and climbing toward the Etruscan fortress once stood, and is now the Praco Archiological and prison. At the end is the original entrance to the town and an Etruscan gate fro the first period.

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The Museum of Art (Pinacoteca) is located in a nice Renaissance palace: Palazzo Minucci Solaini. Inside the museum you can see fantastic paintings from Florence, Siena and Volterra. There you can find paintings made by Bartolomeo di Bartolo (Madonna della Rosa, S.Nicola da Tolentino); Benvenuto di Giovanni (Presepe); Ghirlandaio; Pirez; Signorelli (Deposizione della Croce) and many others.

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Incrociata dei Buonparenti is a crossroads among these streets: Roma, Buonparenti and Ricciarelli. There you can some fantastic examples of case-torri (houses towers) among which the most beautiful are the Case Torre Buonparenti. They were built in the 13th century and connected with a crossover.