Archaeological park of E. Fiumi is the major green area in Volterra. It's in a splendid location, on the highest top of the hill right next to the fort built by Medici family. Etruscan acropolis is inside the park.
Indice
What you can see in Volterra
According to experts, Volterra has yet been an important settlement, with many villages spread trhrough the hill, since the IX century BC. But it's the acropolis the most important settlement. First evidence of occupation in fact dates back to the Middle Bronze Age (XVIII-XIV BC).
It's a singular place. In fact only religious buildings were built here. The place turned into a sacred area for the community since the VIII century BC. All the inhabitants of the hill were used to go often to Sanctuaries which in fact were very busy places. Between the late VI and the early V centuries all the villages joined toghether in one large settlement with Acropolis as the main place, so they built up a big temple of which architectural decorations are still well-preserved on display at Guarnacci Museum. The stone base is still visible in the park because Etruscans, unlike Romans and Greeks, used perishable building materials as wood, row clay, terracotta adding stone bases at the bottom of the walls to protect them from erosion.
A great urban and architectural rehab occurred in the Hellenic period, from which two builngs are still standing: temple A, dating from the alf of the I century BC, and temple B dating from the end of the III century BC. It's the oldest andrises far to the west side of acropolis.
Visiting the park will give you the chan e to travel back in space and time!
Opening Hours
Winter (5 Nov - 11 March): open from 10am to 4pm, week-end only.
Closed on 25 December.
Summer (12 March-4 Nov): 7 days a week from 10.30am to 5.30pm.
Archaeological park would be closed in bad weather.
Tickets
Tickets Price: Full: €5 - Reduced: €3 (students only and cumulative tickets of "Musei di Volterra").
Free entry for residents, employers of Ministero dei Beni Culturali and academics.
Ticket is valid to access to the Roman theatre of Vallebuona.
Contacts
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE CARD:
FOUNDATION: XVII-XV centuries BC
SUNSET: 1472
CIVILIZATION: Etruscans
REGION: Tuscany
PROVINCE: Pisa
MANAGEMENT:
REDISCOVERY: XX century
How to get to Volterra
BY TRAIN
Pontedera and Cecina are the closest rail stations. They are connected to the city of Volterra through the bus line of Compagnia Pisana Trasporti (CPT) (http://www.pisa.cttnord.it/ ).
BY BUS
CPT line coordinates public transport of the metropolitan area of Pisa, Pontedera, Volterra as well as extra-urban service of the province of Pisa. Visit the following web site to get further informations: http://www.pisa.cttnord.it/
BY CAR
There are three main ways to reach the site: from Cecina (40 Km), Colle Val d'Elsa (28 Km) or Pontedera ( 48 Km). The site is 555 mt. above sea level: warning steep road in the last road section .
