Volterra
| Volterra | ||
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| Comune | ||
| Città di Volterra | ||
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 Volterra
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| Coordinates: 43°24′N 10°52′E / 43.400°N 10.867°ECoordinates: 43°24′N 10°52′E / 43.400°N 10.867°E | ||
| 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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Wikipedia