L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano T he quaint town of Volterra, in t h e P i s a province of Tus- cany, is known w o r l d w i d e a s t h e I t a l i a n capital of alabaster. The precious, diaphanous stone has been at the heart of the area's economy and crafts- manship tradition for cen- turies, since Etruscan times. B u t t h e r e i s m o r e t o V o l t e r r a t h a n i t s w e l l - deserved fame as a hub of alabaster art because this is a place filled with beauty, history, and magic. Located only 25 miles from the Tus- c a n c o a s t , 1 9 m i l e s f r o m charming San Gimignano - k n o w n f o r i t s m e d i e v a l architecture – and less than 40 miles from Pisa, Volterra is a small, delightful town of 10,000. The first thing we should mention is its historical sig- nificance, as Volterra was an important commercial and cultural center already for our Etruscan forefathers, w h o u s e d t o c a l l it Velathri and considered it one of the twelve capitals of t h e i r c o n f e d e r a t i o n . W e know that it was fortified in t h e 4 t h c e n t u r y B C w i t h 7 , 3 0 0 m e t e r s - t h a t ' s 2 4 , 0 0 0 f e e t ! – o f s t o n e walls, which didn't only pro- tect the town center but also its farmland. In the 3rd cen- t u r y B C , i t b e c a m e a municipium allied with the Romans, who used to call it Volaterrae, from which t h e n a m e w e u s e t o d a y comes from. In the early Middle Ages, it became a bishopric and lived under both Frankish and Lombard rule. In the l a t e M i d d l e A g e s , t h e R e p u b l i c o f F l o r e n c e became interested in Volter- ra and the rich deposits of a l u m i n i t s s u r r o u n d i n g : soon, its army conquered it. In 1530, when the Republic came to an end, the town passed under the control of the De Medici and, later still, it eventually became part, just like the rest of the area, of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Modern Volterra bears all the beautiful and time-defy- ing signs of its incredible his- tory, as Etruscan, Roman, and medieval vestiges remain visible. You can still visit, for instance, the very same walls built by the Etruscans, and gasp at the grandeur of Porta dell'Arco and Porta Diana, two of the ancient doors to the city. There is also the Etr- uscan acropolis, located within Parco Enrico Fiumi where, by the way, another interesting piece of historic architecture – this time dat- ing to Renaissance times – can be found: the Medicean Fortress, a majestic con- struction that dominates not o n l y V o l t e r r a b u t i t s s u r - roundings, too. The first part of the fortress was built in 1342 by the Duke of Athens Gualtieri VI of Brienne, at the time governor of Florence – this part is known as the "old Rocca" - and further expand- ed in 1475 by Lorenzo il Mag- nifico De Medici: it is from the famous Florentine family that the building takes, of course, its name. Today, the Medicean Fortress is a high- security prison, so you won't b e a b l e t o v i s i t i t , b u t i t s i m p o s i n g a r c h i t e c t u r e i s enough to leave you amazed. Back in the acropolis, the vestiges of two ancient Etr- uscan temples can still be vis- ited today. Famous is also the Roman theater built in the 1st century AD and locat- e d j u s t o u t s i d e t h e t o w n ' s medieval walls, near Porta Fiorentina. The theater was constructed on previous Etr- uscan buildings and it is con- sidered one of the best-pre- served examples of Roman theaters in Italy. You can visit it every day from March to November and at weekends during the coldest months of the year. If you are an ancient history buff, you'll be happy to know that Volterra still has b o t h a R o m a n f o r u m and baths, both in an excel- lent state of preservation. The town center is charm- ingly medieval, with its nar- row alleys and splendidly- p r e s e r v e d p a l a c e s a n d churches. Piazza dei Priori, t h e h e a r t o f V o l t e r r a , i s a must-see with its 13th-centu- ry Palazzo dei Priori, the oldest town hall in Tuscany, a n d P a l a z z o P r e t o r i o . T h e Duomo, or Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, with its baptistery, is an amazing e x a m p l e o f h o w d i f f e r e n t a r t i s t i c s t y l e s c a n c o h a b i t m a g n i f i c e n t l y : i t s f a ç a d e r e m a i n s q u i n t e s s e n t i a l l y Romanesque, as one would expect since the church was consecrated in 1120, while its i n t e r i o r s h o w s s p l e n d i d Renaissance-era details, the result of renovations carried out in 1584, after the Council of Trent. Here you can view works by famous Renaissance a r t i s t s s u c h a s M i n o d a Fiesole and Andrea della Rob- bia. Arts, alabaster, and history, b u t l e t ' s n o t f o r g e t about good food! Volterra, just like every corner of Tus- c a n y , i s a p e r f e c t p l a c e t o experience some local, whole- some, traditional cuisine: look for country-style wild boar with polenta and mushroom, or three-wines hare, if you like game, or lighter options such as panzanella or zuppa di ceci if you want something vegetable-based. If you visit, you may be happy to know that you can get a Volterra Card which covers most of the entrance fees for local monuments and attractions. The card is valid f o r t h r e e d a y s a n d g i v e s access to the Guarnacci Etr- uscan Museum, the Pinacote- ca, the Alabaster Ecomuseum, Palazzo dei Priori, the Etr- u s c a n A c r o p o l i s , a n d t h e Roman theater. Prices are m o r e t h a n r e a s o n a b l e : 1 6 euro full, 24 euro for families, and children under 6 can get their card for free. Last but not certainly least, make sure to take a look at Volterra's l o c a l f a r m e r s ' m a r k e t , which takes place every Satur- day from 8 am to 1 pm. The sun sets on beautiful Volterra (Photo: Stevanzz/Dreamstime) LUCA SIGNORINI Volterra: more than alabaster! ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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