Volterra

Volterra's well-preserved medieval ramparts give the windswept town a proud, forbidding air that author Stephenie Meyer deemed ideal for the discriminating tastes of the planet's principal vampire coven in her wildly popular Twilight series. Fortunately, the reality is considerably more welcoming, as a wander through the winding cobbled streets dotted with Roman, Etruscan and medieval structures attests. Known for its artisanal heritage – alabaster carving in particular – the town is a particularly satisfying stop for those seeking to stock up on Tuscan art and handicrafts.

Explore Volterra

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Museo Etrusco Guarnacci
The vast collection of artefacts exhibited here makes this one of Italy's most impressive Etruscan collections. Found locally, they include some 600…
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Museo Diocesano d'Arte Sacra Volterra
Offering an innovative and particularly satisfying museum experience, this collection of sacred art is housed in the still-functioning Chiesa di San…
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Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
A handsome coffered ceiling is the standout feature of Volterra's duomo, which was built in the 12th and 13th centuries and remodelled in the 16th. The…
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Ecomuseo dell'Alabastro
As befits a town that's hewn the precious material from nearby quarries since Etruscan times, Volterra is the proud possessor of an alabaster museum. It's…
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Pinacoteca Comunale
Local, Sienese and Florentine art holds sway in this modest collection in the Palazzo Minucci Solaini. Taddeo di Bartolo's Madonna Enthroned with Child …
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Baptistry
Just west of the cathedral is the 13th-century baptistry with a small marble font (1502) by Andrea Sansovino.
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Teatro Romano
The grassy ranks of seating and towering columns of Italy's finest and best-preserved Roman theatre makes this a particularly evocative archaeological…
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Palazzo dei Priori
Volterra's 13th-century town hall is the oldest seat of local government in Tuscany. The staircase bears a fresco of the Crucifixion by Pier Francesco…
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Palazzo Pretorio
Forming one side of Volterra's central square, the Palazzo Pretorio was the seat of the local mayor. From it sprouts one of the town's oldest towers, the…

M
Museo Etrusco Guarnacci
The vast collection of artefacts exhibited here makes this one of Italy's most impressive Etruscan collections. Found locally, they include some 600…
M
Museo Diocesano d'Arte Sacra Volterra
Offering an innovative and particularly satisfying museum experience, this collection of sacred art is housed in the still-functioning Chiesa di San…
C
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
A handsome coffered ceiling is the standout feature of Volterra's duomo, which was built in the 12th and 13th centuries and remodelled in the 16th. The…
E
Ecomuseo dell'Alabastro
As befits a town that's hewn the precious material from nearby quarries since Etruscan times, Volterra is the proud possessor of an alabaster museum. It's…
P
Pinacoteca Comunale
Local, Sienese and Florentine art holds sway in this modest collection in the Palazzo Minucci Solaini. Taddeo di Bartolo's Madonna Enthroned with Child …
B
Baptistry
Just west of the cathedral is the 13th-century baptistry with a small marble font (1502) by Andrea Sansovino.
T
Teatro Romano
The grassy ranks of seating and towering columns of Italy's finest and best-preserved Roman theatre makes this a particularly evocative archaeological…
P
Palazzo dei Priori
Volterra's 13th-century town hall is the oldest seat of local government in Tuscany. The staircase bears a fresco of the Crucifixion by Pier Francesco…
P
Palazzo Pretorio
Forming one side of Volterra's central square, the Palazzo Pretorio was the seat of the local mayor. From it sprouts one of the town's oldest towers, the…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Volterra.

See
Museo Etrusco Guarnacci
The vast collection of artefacts exhibited here makes this one of Italy's most impressive Etruscan collections. Found locally, they include some 600…
See
Museo Diocesano d'Arte Sacra Volterra
Offering an innovative and particularly satisfying museum experience, this collection of sacred art is housed in the still-functioning Chiesa di San…
See
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
A handsome coffered ceiling is the standout feature of Volterra's duomo, which was built in the 12th and 13th centuries and remodelled in the 16th. The…
See
Ecomuseo dell'Alabastro
As befits a town that's hewn the precious material from nearby quarries since Etruscan times, Volterra is the proud possessor of an alabaster museum. It's…
See
Pinacoteca Comunale
Local, Sienese and Florentine art holds sway in this modest collection in the Palazzo Minucci Solaini. Taddeo di Bartolo's Madonna Enthroned with Child …
See
Baptistry
Just west of the cathedral is the 13th-century baptistry with a small marble font (1502) by Andrea Sansovino.
See
Teatro Romano
The grassy ranks of seating and towering columns of Italy's finest and best-preserved Roman theatre makes this a particularly evocative archaeological…
See
Palazzo dei Priori
Volterra's 13th-century town hall is the oldest seat of local government in Tuscany. The staircase bears a fresco of the Crucifixion by Pier Francesco…
See
Palazzo Pretorio
Forming one side of Volterra's central square, the Palazzo Pretorio was the seat of the local mayor. From it sprouts one of the town's oldest towers, the…

Guidebooks

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