Volterra, Tuscany, Italy 12/2013
Heading south out of the enchanting town of San Gimignano, we couldn’t resist a quick stop in Volterra to visit its Guarnacci Etruscan Museum, with thousands of funeral urns dating back to the Hellenistic and Archaic periods. Main attractions are the bronze statuette “Shadow of the Night” and the sculpted effigy of an Etruscan couple in terracotta. The town was a Neolithic settlement and an important Etruscan center. The site is believed to have been continuously inhabited since at least the end of the 8th century BC.
Parking was easy at the base of the “city”. Climbing some two thousand steps, (I lost count after that), we found the museum at 5:01. It closed at 5:00, but we stayed for the sunset over the rolling hills of Tuscany. The parking lot had signs reading “No Camping”, but we slept comfortably along with a dozen other travelers who we guess couldn’t read either. It did mean climbing the endless stone staircase again in the morning.
Monika has always been fascinated by the Etruscan culture. The beautiful pottery, glassware and sculptures were amazing considering their age. The numerous burial urns spoke of the wealth of the citizens.
We wandered around town long enough to find a cute bakery before driving north to the romantic city of Florence.
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- We had just missed the closing time of the museum, but the sunset from the fortress walls over the rolling Tuscan hills was a bonus.
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- The site of Volterra is believed to have been continuously inhabited since at least the end of the 8th century BC.
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- Climbing some two thousand steps, we reached the center of the walled town.
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- This spring fed trough was the city’s water supply, yes at the bottom of all those steps.
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- It was amazing that the excavated pottery and glassware had survived.
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- Hundreds of burial urns had been excavated from the ancient ruins. Many told a story about the occupant.
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- The sculpted effigy of an Etruscan couple must have had an interesting story behind it.
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- We always keep an eye out for little bakeries where we can buy fresh bread and the occasional cookie.
Heading south out of the enchanting town of San Gimignano, we couldn’t resist a quick stop in Volterra to visit… http://t.co/YR8hcMob9R