The historic town of Volterra is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Tuscany and impresses both with its rich history and its beautiful location on a steep hillside.
Volterra will offer tourists well-preserved ancient monuments from Etruscan times as well as a magnificent fortified medieval centre. It is an ideal destination for day trips from Pisa, Florence or Siena.
From the Etruscans to the Medici
History has passed through Volterra and thanks to its difficult accessibility in the steep slopes over 30 km from the sea, the town has never been seriously damaged.
In particular, the oldest parts of Volterra dating back to the Etruscan period (c. 4th century BC) are the most visible, the Roman monuments are well preserved and the centre dates back to the reign of the Medici family (c. 13th century).
Sights and attractions
Volterra is a small town and all the sights can be easily explored on foot within an hour.
- Roman Theatre - the beautiful ruins of an ancient theatre from the 1st century AD can be found on the northern edge of the centre. Admission is 10 eur, detailed info: comune.volterra.pi.it.
- Palzzao dei Priori - The oldest municipal building in Tuscany stands on Piazza Priori in the centre of Volterra. The Romanesque-Gothic palace dates from 1257 and still serves as the town hall.
- Cathedral and baptistery - like in Pisa or Florence, there is a detached baptistery in front of the main cathedral. The buildings are rather inconspicuous and both date from the 13th century.
- Etruscan Acropolis - a small archaeological site reveals the foundations of Etruscan buildings dating from the 4th to 3rd century BC. Admission is 10 eur, detailed info: comune.volterra.pi.it.
- Medicean Fortress - a very well-preserved fortress built on the highest point of Volterra between 1342 and 1474.
- Walls - around the entire historic centre, the well-preserved walls from the Etruscan era can be seen in many places, which have been gradually strengthened over the centuries. The walls can be seen in many places from the street and are free to access.
Accommodation Volterra
The town is an ideal quiet alternative to Siena and we definitely recommend staying here for at least 1 night. In the afternoon, Volterra empties out of tourists on day trips and you'll have the medieval streets to yourself.
You will find many family apartments and classic hotels with prices starting from about 62 eur per night:
- Villa Nencini *** - the cheapest hotel in town with parking located in a very quiet area about 1 km from the centre
- Albergo Etruria *** - stylish hotel right in the historic centre of Volterra
Transportation to Volterra
Transport to Volterra will be easiest by rental car, which can be easily reached from Pisa (66 km) and Florence (82 km).
There are no trains directly to Volterra, only buses. Volterra-Saline-Pomarance railway station (about 10 km from the centre of Volterra) is currently without train service, but there are alternative Trenitalia buses from Cecina station, for which you can buy a ticket together with the train.
Detailed timetables can be found on the at-bus.it website. There are no direct buses to Volterra from Pisa or Florence, you will always have to change trains or buses in Pontedera.
Please note that on Sundays there are only 1 or 2 buses per day to Volterra. So, ideally plan your visit for Monday to Saturday (during Saturday they usually run as on weekdays).
- Bus 500 towards Pontedera - about once an hour on weekdays, only once a day on Sundays, in Pontedera change to Trenitalia trains towards Pisa and Florence
- Bus 770 towards Colle Val d'Elsa - approx. 4 times a day on weekdays, only once a day on Sundays, in Colle Val d'Elsa transfer to Trenitalia trains towards Pisa, Siena, Florence
- Bus 780 direction Saline - approx. once every 2 hours, more connections on Sundays, in Saline change to Trenitalia buses in direction Cecina
Transport from Pisa and Florence is easiest by train to Pontedera, from where you take bus number 500.
- Pisa - Pontedera: 2,70 eur, within 20 minutes
- Florence - Pontedera: 7,30 eur, up to 50 minutes
- Pontedera - Volterra (bus 500): 8 eur (ticket with driver), 75 minutes
Within Volterra there are 2 public bus lines, for which you can buy a ticket at the newsagent's for 1,20 eur. You can find the timetables here.
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