Volterra, my favorite town in Tuscany, is situated on a hilltop & like many towns & cities in Tuscany, it has Etruscan roots. The Etruscans are considered by historians to be the first “superpower” in the western Mediterranean & flourished in central Italy during the 8th – 3rd centuries BC. Unfortunately, they did not leave behind a written history but thankfully, did leave walled hilltop towns, burial tombs & wall art.
The nearby town of San Gimignano is another pretty Tuscan hilltop town with much to offer including the friendly assistance of lovely Alina at La Casa di Mamma Do’ shop offering delightful souvenirs to include Pinnochio items. As much as I like its beautiful towers & interesting history its neighbor, Volterra is my town of choice as it seems more laid back & real to me. Where San Gimignano often seems invaded by bus loads of tourists, Volterra has the feeling of a lived in & appreciated town with tourists who respect it & don’t see it as just a check off mark on their Italy itinerary.
This part of an Etruscan wall in Volterra dates from the 4th to 3rd centuries BC & what remains is remarkably intact for its age; wish I could say the same for me! Standing next to it had me feeling excited & a bit somber as I thought of those who built the wall & lived in Volterra oh so long ago. It also made me feel a bit younger & who wouldn’t, standing next to an ancient wall?
In addition to the wall, an Etruscan entry arch or gate remains & it played a role in World War II. The Nazis occupied Volterra during the war & as the Allies approached the town the Nazis planned a retreat. To make things more complicated for the Allies, the Nazis decided to use explosives on the Porta dell’Arco, Etrusco, the Etruscan gate, to obstruct the Allies in their entrance to Volterra. The townspeople, fully aware of the valued history of the gate, blocked up the gate in an effort to save it. The Nazis then decided that there was no need to destroy the gate as it was walled up & presented the desired obstacle to the Allies. Unfortunately, the Allies proceeded to bomb Volterra thinking that the Nazis were still in occupation of it & in the process killed some townspeople. The Porta dell’Arco still stands today.
A feature of this part of Italy is the balze or chasms created when rainfall penetrates the weaker topsoil & causes sections of earth, mostly clay, underneath to peel away. Over the centuries homes & churches have been lost as the ground beneath them fell victim to a chasm. It’s a pretty impressive sight when you see a building standing precariously close to a chasm.
Among the special things in Volterra are alabaster, salt & the ruins of a Roman Theatre & Baths. Alabaster is found in this area & has been mined for centuries. It was used by the Etruscans for sarcophagi, vases & other decorative objects & continues in use today for mostly decorative purposes. Volterran salt is considered the purest in Italy & originates from sea salt beds formed millions of years ago. In the 1950s Enrico Fiumi with the voluntary aid of patients from the nearby psychiatric hospital worked to uncover the ruins.
Of the numerous possibilities for sources of delicious food & wine in Volterra my “go to” is Del Duca for pranzo* and/or cena.* Owned by Ivana & Genuino Del Duca with Sommelier Claudia Del Duca, Chef Alessandro Calabrese & dining room staff Luca Nasuti & Antonella Litrico it is a light, airy & beautiful restaurant with delicious food that is artistically presented.
Several years ago, John & I had the pleasure of meeting Luca elsewhere in Volterra & at the time we were taken by his warmth, humor & his delight in assisting diners in enjoying good food & wine. Imagine our delight when we met up with Luca at Del Duca; we knew that we were in good hands for pranzo & cena! Luca is also a sommelier so he, in addition to Claudia, can be of assistance in recommending wines. Chef Alessandro is a young man of extraordinary talent in the cucina* as was evidenced by his unique pairings of marvelous food.
The Del Duca family also owns the Marcampo Winery & their Marcampo house vino rosso is a marvelous blend of 80% San Giovese & 20% Merlot; it is smooth & delightful tasting. I liked it so much that I ordered some bottles to be shipped home from Marcampo.
Before we left Italy for Ireland, our friends Steve & Hayley introduced us to their friends Mary Ann & Andy & their nephew Gareth. We shared several happy evenings in their company enjoying conversation & the delicious meals prepared by Mary Ann & Steve.
With the combination of beautiful historic sights, delicious food, wine, roads lined with cypress trees & flowering poppies, birdsong, a cuckoo calling in the morning, cow bells in the distance, fox, deer & wild boar on the road & most of all wonderful, caring & friendly people, we did indeed enjoy La Dolce Vita* on this visit to Italy!
Thank you all for your friendship, generosity, sharing your culinary talents & for your many kindnesses in sharing the Italy you love with us.
Ciao, Italy, next stop Ireland!
Italian vocabulary – cena = dinner, cucina = kitchen, la dolce vita = the sweet life, pranzo = lunch