Center from the ancient origins etrusche, Volterra is found to an altitude of 530 meters s.l.m. and it has a population of around 11000 inhabitants. Inside the city the Cathedral of Saint Maria Assunta you/they can be admired, the church of the Saints Correct and Clemente, the Tower of the Podestà and the Buonguidi, Building Pretorio and Building of the Priori.

L'areas of the volterrano you/he/she has been rich of human installations since the Neolitico, but it is thanks to the Etruschis that the foundation of the first strengthened housing nucleus happens. You established in the zone beginning from the VII century a.C., the Etruschis found you the city of Velathri, that from the IV century a.C. you/he/she is surrounded by a building perimeter of well seven kilometers of circumference. Velathri, inside which I/you/they are protected over that the inhabitants also the zones of pasture and cultivation, become one of the twelve Lucumonies of the League Etrusca.

Since immediately the city it shapes him as a neuralgic point of the Etruria, to check the north pressure of the Roosters and that from south of the Romans. With the defeat of the lake Vadimone, happened in the 283 a.C., the Etruschis begin to surrender the footstep to the Roman domination and Volterra it subdues him to it in 260. On the occasion of the Second War Punica (205 a.Cs.) the city furnishes even lumber and alimentary commodities to the army capitulates of Scipione. In the 90 a.C. Volterra definitely gets the Roman citizen. Few years later it participates in the civil war between Mario and Silla, taking the parts of the first one and being besieged and defeat around the 80.

To the times of the barbaric invasions of the V century AD, Volterra is delineated already as a "castrum" medieval and it becomes center of an Episcopalian curia that egemonizza the zone corresponding to the ancient lucumonia. To defend himself/herself/themselves from Eruli and Goths, ax besides to entertain a Byzantine military garrison. The city also dresses again a particular importance during the epoch of occupation longobarda and enjoys then some favors of the Carolingian emperors, thanks to which the bishopric volterrano acquires numerous privileges and ownership between the IX and the XI century, ending with to also practice on the local population the civil power.

Etruschi and Romans have left in inheritance to Volterra numerous archaeological sites of extraordinary interest. Particularly well preserved it is the Roman theater of Vallebuona, served to build to the epoch of August as the family Caecina, on the false line of the style of the Greek odeons. You can visit besides the acropolis of Pian of Castle and the Necropolis etrusca, risalente to the V century a.C. and a great deal particular for his/her structure. The graves, in fact, don't raise him from the ground but they are directly dug in the sabbione of the hill volterrano.