Wedding in volterra

Volterra is known all around the world as the ‘city of the Etruscans’. From the 8th century BC the Etruscans began to spread out over the slopes and later in 4th century BC a defensive wall was erected to enclose the urban centre. The Etruscans Velathri based its economy on mineral deposits of copper and silver.  In the 5th century Volterra became the diocese of a vast area, and later in the Middle Ages the struggle between the feudal lords and the Bishops  finished in 1257 with the start of the free Commune. Palazzo dei Priori is a magnificent example of the importance of this town during the Middle Ages. Volterra is one of the finest and lesser known hilltop towns tucked away in the hearth of Tuscany. Idyllically set amidst an evocative landscape of rolling hills and woodland abruptly defined by deep clay walled chasms and ravines.

Volterra is the city of stone and the city of the alabaster. Its narrow streets, towers and palaces and fortifications are made of a yellow grey stone, a sandstone  effused with fossils. Then we have the chalky alabaster of Volterra, a soft white stone, more easily carved than marble, and ideal for  intricate decoration and classic sculpture work.