We have really settled in to the laid-back lifestyle of Volterra. To try otherwise would be pointless. All shops in the town shut down for siesta between 1pm and 5pm and those who aren't engaged in eating and drinking between those time must go home for a sleep. Our temporary home, Casa Selci, is more than 200 years old. Built as stables, with space upstairs for grain storage, it was only converted to human accommodation by the current owners about ten years ago. Volterra has its roots in 3,000 years of history. The theatre of Vallebona survives from the time of Augustus and suggests the importance of Volterra under Roman domination. Volterra is surrounded by 12th century town walls and is criss-crossed with narrow cobbled streets filled with palaces, tower houses and churches. A dominant feature is the imposing Fortezza Medicea, now a prison (admission: one felony). Volterra has most of the works of art from the Etruscan, Roman, Medieval and Renaissance periods and the Etruscan Museum is one of the oldest public museums of Europe. Even the livestock here appear to be well-read. We have enjoyed visiting the Duomo, Baptistry, Palazzio Vitta and the Roman Theatre and Baths. Tomorrow we're leaning towards visiting Pisa and the coast.
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