Viva Volterra!

On a day when most of the Tuscan Twelve headed into Firenze (where we’d already spent a few days) my husband and I decided to hang around the villa for the morning and then drive the half hour to Volterra ~ to have lunch and do some exploring … and have gelato.

Volterra ~ another one of those beautiful Italian hilltop towns in Tuscany there’s never enough time to explore. Its roots are Etruscan, which means it’s really old, and when you look from it’s illustrious position high on the plateau, you can see for miles and miles. Somewhere out there is our villa.

It was another blistering hot day. Progress was slow as we meandered up and down the cobbled, narrow streets. Occasionally we’d duck into a craft shop and take a look around. Volterra is famous for its alabaster. My husband, who loves elephants, bought a small alabaster elephant. I opted for a small bronze horse that neighed to me.

While wandering through the ancient town we came upon the Teatro Romano, which dates back to the first century BC and is, apparently, one of the best-preserved in Italy. I love these types of ruins. My imagination goes wild re-creating what it might have looked like way back when, and imagining all the people milling around in the act of living.

Volterra Ruins