Still more to see in Volterra

The temperature was cooler today, about 30 degrees, and with a light breeze. Much more conducive to sight-seeing.

We purchased Volterra Cards this morning which gave us access into several important sights around the city, the girl at the museum desk gave us a sweet smile and said our price would be the seniors price. Yipee!

First stop was the Roman Theatre, built in the 1st century B.C it could hold more than 2000 people. It was abandoned in 3rd c. A.D. and its remains were used to build a thermal bath complex.

This was the baths complex with hot, tepid and cold baths.

Next stop was the Civic Museum and Art Gallery. All these civic bildings are in palazzi (palaces) so they have lots of space to easily create displays.

This fun exhibition was a modern take on classic paintings using games as a theme. This was called The Game of Elastic, and ran to a tangle of rubber bands on the floor.

In this Madonna and Child the angel is a light globe and the child is playing with a

 yo-yo.

The exhibition was in a cloister and the pictures flowed onto the walkway.

Still in the same building we then entered the Alabaster Museum where there was a wide display of uses for alabaster including funerary urns, statuary, memoria (like cameos, and used before the days of photos) and ornamental pieces.

This model workshop showed the tools and equipment that the alabaster carver needed.

We then entered the general collection, a most amazing range of themes. As well as the usual religious works there was a collection of coins like I have never seen. They came from the Medici era, the Republic of Firenze and the Papal State. There were denari, gold pieces and silver galore. The detail on most coins was intricate.

In this painting on wood, the figure on the right is Saint Octavian, the city's patron saint, who is holding a small but meticulously detailed model of Volterra.

This (below) was a most interesting room. Father Eugenio Barsanti was a teacher and what started as a physics experiment for his pupils turned into the discovery of the  combustion engine, the fore-runner of the motor car.

He later joined forces with Felice Matteucci and they continued to work on the engine and in 1853 invented the first version of the internal combustion engine.

As we were coming home the award winning gelati shop was open and there wasn't a queue! My choice was fruit of the woods (full of whole berries) and their award winning  crema di Ersilia. This was a creamy vanilla gelato with crunchy bits of dark chocolate, nuts and nougat. Simply the best!

A €4 lunch - a foccaccia filled with prosciuto, cheese and tomato and a drink. In Italy Fanta is made from orange juice and is not very sweet (or bright orange.)

Back on the trail after a rest, we went to the Palazzo dei Priori - basically the town hall. The first two photos are the council chamber and the next a meeting room.

Again a house of many rooms. This one housed another display by the local artist  Mino Trafeli. Note the original art on the wall above.

Another artist  of the area was Raffaello Gambogi 1874 - 1943. He painted urban scenes. He was married to the Finnish artist Elin Danielson 1861 - 1919. Some of her work was also on display.

Kel says Volterra should be called 'the city of thighs' - so many steps and so many steep streets!

From the Park E. Fiumi there is a good view of the Medici Fortress. Most of it is now a prison.

Our last stop for the day was at the Etruscan Acropolis. This is a work in progress slowly uncovering the temple and other parts of a city dating up to 7th c B.C.  Over time it has been covered by land slips and other causes. There are three distinct building eras to be seen, although to the uneducated eye it all just looks like large oblong cut blocks.

For the brave there is a Roman era cistern that supplied water to their city. Spiral stairs lead way down to a vaulted and colonaded tank.

Time for some relaxation so home by 6 pm and a 'porta via' pizza at 9 pm. Kel went off to listen to some more jazz in the piazza but I stayed in to catch up on the journal writing.