Pour rejoindre Volterra d'ici il y a à peux-près 30 Km. et vous pouvez aussi continuer votre tour jusqu'à San Gimignano, pas loin de Volterra...
Things you can’t miss in Volterra:
Volterra is located in the east side of the province of Pisa, on the borderline of the province of Siena, and is situated on a hill 1770 feet above the sea level, between the valleys of Cecina and Dell’Era. Volterra’s origins date back to the ancient Etruscans who used to know the city as Velathri or Felathri, and then the Romans as Volaterrae. The Etruscan walls are still visible, well preserved and surround the city centre. You can really feel a medieval atmosphere walking through the narrow streets of the centre. Throughout the Middle Ages, the city was home to the bishop, then fell into the hands of Florence (and the Medici family), and then it fell under the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
[Photo Credits: Consorzio Turistico Volterra Valdicecina]
- The heart of the medieval town is Piazza dei Priori with the wonderful Palazzo dei Priori, today the city hall. Its façade has ancient emblems of marble and glazed earthenware. In the same square you will also find Palazzo Pretorio, whose tower is very ancient and is considered one of the first towers of the town. It is traditionally known as the Tower of the Little Pig because at the top there is a small pig in stone placed on a shelf.
- The Duomo or Cathedral is a Romanesque building of the XII century and it was constructed on the site of a previous church. It has a Romanesque façade and an entrance that was added in the 13th century. The interior was modified in the late-16th century in the Renaissance style and it has a richly decorated ceiling and several chapels with frescoes or wood panels, as well as a 12th-century marble pulpit.
- The Baptistery of the Cathedral stands opposite to it in the same square. It is a 13th-century structure and has an octagonal base. The façade is adorned with stripes of white and green marble, which are very common in Tuscany. The interior is simple, but is houses an exceptional piece of art: the octagonal marble baptismal font, sculptured by Sansovino in 1502.
Piazza dei Priori [Photo Credits: Consorzio Turistico Volterra Valdicecina http://ow.ly/i5HWG]
- The first archaeological evidences of the necropolis date back to the X or IX centuries BCE. The Roman Amphitheatre was constructed in the 1st century BCE (it’s opened in winter only on weekends; the rest of the year it’s open daily). Behind the theatre there are the remains of Roman baths, dating back to the 4th century AD and there are also remains of a Roman forum. During the Middle Ages these sites were part of a rubbish dump and were buried. Excavations began in 1951.
- The Pinacoteca (Art Gallery) in Palazzo Minucci-Solaini is a gallery containing works by Tuscan artists from the 14th to 17th centuries, including the Deposition by Rosso Fiorentino.
- The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta was enlarged in the 13th century after an earthquake. It houses a ciborium, a notable wood Deposition from 1228, a masterwork of Romanesque sculpture, and the Sacrament Chapel. Also noteworthy is the Addolorata Chapel, with a terracotta group attributed to Andrea della Robbia and a fresco of Riding Magi. In the nearby chapel, dedicated to the Very Holy Name of Jesus, is a table with Christ’s monogram, allegedly painted by Bernardino of Siena. The rectangular bell tower is from 1493.
Volterra Cathedral [Photo Credits: Alessandro Bertini http://ow.ly/i5MsN]
- The Medicean Fortress, known as Maschio, is now a prison housing a restaurant.
- The Guarnacci Etruscan Museum hosts thousands of funeral urns dating back to the Hellenistic and Archaic periods. One of the main attractions are the bronze statuette “Shadow of the Night”; the cinerary urn called “Urna degli sposi”; and the sculpted effigy of an Etruscan couple in terra cotta. For more information click here.
- There are six gates in the Etruscan walls in the centre, dating from the 13th to 16th centuries, including the well-preserved Porta dell’Arco and Porta Diana gates. Porta dell’Arco is the only remaining part of the ancient city walls from the 5th century. It was incorporated in the city walls, built in the 13th century, when the Ghibellines succeeded the Guelphs. From the outside, the gate is decorated with the three human heads. Porta San Francesco still has traces of the original frescoes. From Porta San Felice there are views of the countryside beyond the town. Porta Fiorentina was originally called Porta San Agnolo, after the nearby church; it was built in an architectural style typical of Volterra, though some modifications were carried out in the 16th century. During the siege of the town in 1530, the tower above the gate, which served as an armoury, was completely destroyed. The gate leads to the direction of Florence, and therefore, the locals call it Porta Fiorentina.
- Small shops of alabaster artefacts, a traditional material used in the town and extracted nearby.
[Photo Credits: Allegra Ricci http://ow.ly/i5NDp]
Main events
Volterra hosts several events:
- Volterragusto
- Volterrarte (art festival)
- Volterrateatro (theatre festival)
- Volterra AD 1398
Volterra is the setting for New Moon, the second vampire book in the Twilight series written by Stephanie Meyer. In the book, Volterra is home to the Volturi, an ancient group of vampires. To know more about a “Volterra vampire itinerary” click here.
Volterra AD 1398 [Photo Credits: Francesco Ianett http://ow.ly/i5Naq]
By airplane
The nearest airports are Pisa and Florence.
By train
Volterra has a station on the Cecina-Volterra railway line, called Volterra Saline – Pomarance. It is 10 kilometres from the Volterra city centre. The most popular railway stations near Volterra are those of Cecina and Pontedera; these stations are connected with Volterra by bus service.
By car
Volterra it’s about 70 kilometres from Florence, 47 from Siena, 63 from Pisa, 29 from San Gimignano and 40 from the seaside. Althouhg Volterra is easy to reach, the last kilometres to the town are difficult because they are very curvy and go uphill.
By bus
The Compagnia Pisana Trasporti Spa (CPT) manages public transport in the urban areas of Pisa, Pontedera and Volterra and suburban areas in the Province of Pisa. For more information, contact the Call Center CPT 800012773 or see the website http://www.cpt.pisa.it/orari.htm
For a picture gallery, click here.
Post
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento