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Villamagna di Volterra

Volterra
Comune
Città di Volterra
Volterra101.jpg
Coat of arms of Volterra
Coat of arms
Volterra is located in Italy
Volterra
Volterra
Location of Volterra in Italy
Coordinates: 43°24′N 10°52′E / 43.400°N 10.867°E / 43.400; 10.867Coordinates: 43°24′N 10°52′E / 43.400°N 10.867°E / 43.400; 10.867
Country Italy
Region Tuscany
Province / Metropolitan city Pisa (PI)
Frazioni Mazzolla, Saline di Volterra, Villamagna
Government
 • Mayor Marco Buselli
Area
 • Total 252 km2 (97 sq mi)
Elevation 531 m (1,742 ft)
Population (31 June 2009)
 • Total 11,042
 • Density 44/km2 (110/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Volterrani
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 56048
Dialing code 0588
Patron saint St. Justus
Saint day June 5
Website Official website

Volterra is a walled mountaintop town in the Tuscany region of Italy of which its history dates to before the 7th century BC and has substantial structures from the Etruscan, Roman, and Medieval periods.

Volterra, known to the ancient Etruscans as Velathri or Vlathri and to the Romans as Volaterrae, is a town and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy. The town was a Bronze Age settlement of the Villanovan culture, and an important Etruscan center (Velàthre, Velathri or Felathri in Etruscan, Volaterrae in Latin language), one of the "twelve cities" of the Etruscan League.

The site is believed to have been continuously inhabited as a city since at least the end of the 8th century BC. It became a municipium allied to Rome at the end of the 3rd century BC. The city was a bishop's residence in the 5th century, and its episcopal power was affirmed during the 12th century. With the decline of the episcopate, Volterra became a place of interest of the Florentines, whose forces conquered Volterra. Florentine rule was not always popular, and opposition occasionally broke into rebellion. These rebellions were put down by Florence.

When the Florentine Republic fell in 1530, Volterra came under the control of the Medici family and later followed the history of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

Volterra has a station on the Cecina-Volterra Railway (), called "Volterra Saline – Pomarance" due to its position, in the frazione of Saline di Volterra.


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