Things to Do in Volterra: 8 Must-See Highlights

Which sights in Volterra do you absolutely have to see?

Volterra is known as the city of the Etruscans, the ancient indigenous people of Tuscany. The city has existed for at least 2,400 years.

Volterra is pretty small, and you can see all of it in one day on your road trip through Tuscany.

Grab a delicious gelato, keep your phone camera ready, and let yourself wander through the ancient alleyways!

Piazza dei Priori

The Piazza dei Priori is the central square in Volterra. Battlemented palaces line the square, and you immediately feel transported back to the Middle Ages.

The square is home to Volterra’s town hall, the Palazzo dei Priori — incidentally the oldest town hall in Tuscany, and likely the model for the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.

You can also visit the Palazzo from the inside and climb the bell tower — admission is 5 euros.

Cathedral

Volterra’s cathedral sits right on the Piazza dei Priori. Admission costs 8 euros and includes a rotating exhibition held just across the square at the Centro Studi Espositivo “Santa Maria Maddalena”.

You can easily buy tickets on-site.

Porta dell'Arco

Volterra is surrounded by a city wall with six gates, parts of which date back to the time of the Etruscans.

The oldest and most famous is the Porta dell’Arco, around 2,400 years old. The gate — several meters thick, made of heavy tuff stone — is decorated on the outside with three heads whose meaning remains unknown to this day.

Fun Fact: In the blockbuster movie “Twilight,” which is partly set in Volterra, those are the heads of three vampires who live in the city. The film wasn’t actually shot in Volterra, though — it was filmed in Montepulciano in southern Tuscany.

Roman Theater

The Roman Theater of Volterra is one of the best-preserved Roman theaters in Italy. It’s just outside the city walls, a short walk from the Piazza dei Priori.

The theater dates back to the 1st century BC and could seat 3,500 people. The rows of seats and part of the stage wall are so well preserved that the theater is still used for performances today. Just behind the stage wall, you’ll find the excavations of a Roman thermal bath.

Admission is 10 euros — but you can also get a great view of the entire site for free by walking along the city walls above.

Palazzo Viti

The Palazzo Viti once belonged to wealthy alabaster merchant Giuseppe Viti, who lived here in the 19th century.

Today it’s a museum house with 14 rooms — his bedroom, library, dining room, and personal belongings all on display. It’s genuinely fascinating to see how a well-off family lived in Volterra back then.

Admission is 7 euros.

Alabaster Workshop

Alabaster is a mineral found nowhere else in such abundance as in the area around Volterra. That’s why Volterra isn’t just the city of the Etruscans — it’s also the city of alabaster.

The old town is full of workshops where you can pick up beautiful alabaster objects: jewelry, decorative pieces, lamps, or small figurines. In many shops you can watch the artist at work right in front of you — the Rossi Alabastri atelier is a great example.

Etruscan Museum Guarnacci

No visit to Volterra is complete without a stop at the museum dedicated to Etruscan history.

The Guarnacci Museum spans three floors and is the largest museum for Etruscan culture anywhere. You’ll find urns, sculptures, everyday items, and weapons — a seriously impressive collection. If you’re into Etruscan history, this is one of the top things to do in Volterra.

We’d strongly recommend picking up an audio guide, as the information panels alone don’t tell you much. And don’t miss the rooftop terrace — the panorama over Volterra and the surrounding countryside is stunning.

Viale dei Ponti Viewpoint

Volterra has several great vantage points — the city sits on a hill, after all. But the best viewpoint is the bend in the road along Viale dei Ponti.

From here you get a partial view of Volterra itself, plus a sweeping vista stretching for miles over the Tuscan hills. Don’t leave without stopping here.

Our Hotel Tips in Volterra

You can easily see Volterra in a day, but it also makes a fantastic base for exploring Tuscany more broadly.

From Volterra, you can reach Pisa, Siena, or the beaches of Tuscany in about an hour.

In our opinion, these two places to stay offer the best value for money in Volterra:

If you’d rather stay somewhere else in the region, check out all of our hotel tips for Tuscany.

Our Restaurant Tips in Volterra

Honestly, the restaurant scene in Volterra is seriously good. We tried a few spots and can recommend these:

• Osteria La Pace: great value for money, fast service. Our tip: the pasta dish strozzapreti with wild boar ragù. Mmmm!
• La Vecchia Lira: homemade pasta and a really delicious Vino della Casa.
• La Sosta del Priore: a sandwich shop where you choose your own super fresh ingredients. The menu is available in English too.
• L’Isola del Gusto: the best gelato shop in Volterra and one of the best we’ve come across in Tuscany!

Parking in Volterra

Volterra has both free and paid parking lots.

The paid ones are mostly underground — handy in summer so your car isn’t baking in the heat.

The free lots are always a bit farther out, but if you don’t mind a short walk, they’re absolutely worth it. You might even find a shady spot.

• Parcheggio Ripaie: Free parking outside the city walls with a few shaded spots. It’s a 10-minute uphill walk via a staircase into the old town.
• Parcheggio Torricella: Also free, about ten to fifteen minutes on foot from the historic center.
• Parcheggio La Dogana: Underground paid parking garage. 2 euros per hour, but you’re right in the heart of the old town.