Volterra; the town on a hill
A small town in southern Tuscany that is fun to wander about
“On a hill he said.”
I was talking with the concierge at our resort in Tuscany. I had asked about things to see and do while we were here. He continued…
“Visit Pisa of course. You will want to take the train to Florence. And you should visit Volterra.”
Ok, Pisa was on the list as was Florence. Volterra; never heard of it.
So here we were, Saturday, January 7th. The day following the Epiphany holiday. The day after our adventures in Florence. A good day for a quiet drive. A good day to discover something new. We loaded ourselves into our rental, navigated the winding roads toward Pisa, and then south. More winding roads. Then more winding roads this time climbing up to this town, Volterra.
Driving through and around Volterra to get some idea of the layout not lost but looking for a place to park. These narrow streets don’t make it easy.
The parking lot was great, but the path into Volterra, not so much. It was a stone staircase that kept on going. The top was hidden, not quite in the clouds.
We ascended the stairs achieving the summit after one or two stops to catch our breath. This staircase was the main entrance to the city in ancient times. The staircase was used by merchants and farmers to bring their wares to sell at the market. Damn, they must have been fit!
Somebody had been kind enough to place a bench at the viewpoint at the top of the staircase. It was wonderful to sit and catch our breath while enjoying the wonderful vista of rolling Tuscan hills. After enjoying the view, we turned and climbed up the street into Volterra proper.
This is an old town dating back to the sixth century BC. The foundations were built by the Etruscans.
Like all European towns, the streets are narrow which contributes to the charm of these towns. The main shopping areas are mostly closed to auto traffic. Foot, bicycle and small mopeds only. Another thing contributing to the charm of these towns.
I captured June enjoying her lunch.
A nice spread of sliced chicken breast, fresh tomatoes, cheese and fresh bread. Very simple, very tasty. Enjoy with white wine.
I’m sure we saved a bit for Liddy who was under the table. She was not alone as there was another well-behaved dog at the table next to us.
After lunch, we enjoyed the quiet of the afternoon wandering through the streets. I can’t help thinking of them as a maze because without a map you could be lost forever 😊
We found the town square, the piazza where the Palazzo dei Priori is located. This proud, building dates back to the thirteenth century which probably accounts for its simple architecture. The Discover Tuscany Website mentions an annual medieval fair that is held here in August.
One of the shops June enjoyed was an Alabaster Museum which was located on the piazza. Filled with many fascinating works of art carved from this snow-white marble.
Fortunately, we did have a map of the town, because on our way back to our car I did manage to take several wrong turns before arriving at the top of the staircase down to the parking lot.
We enjoyed our day exploring Volterra. I’m sure there are lots of stock jokes by residents and visitors alike about the stairs and the streets that are either going up or going down.
I will leave you with this view of the city silhouetted against the sky atop its hill. I am already wondering when we will be able to return for another visit.
