Teatro Romano

Volterra


The grassy ranks of seating and towering columns of Italy's finest and best-preserved Roman theatre makes this a particularly evocative archaeological site. It was commissioned in the 1st century BC and could hold up to 2000 spectators. Today the cavea (sloping seating area), orchestra pit and stage are still clearly discernible. Note that there's also a good – and free – view of the theatre from Via Lungo Le Mura del Mandorlo.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Volterra attractions

1. Ecomuseo dell'Alabastro

0.06 MILES

As befits a town that's hewn the precious material from nearby quarries since Etruscan times, Volterra is the proud possessor of an alabaster museum. It's…

2. Pinacoteca Comunale

0.07 MILES

Local, Sienese and Florentine art holds sway in this modest collection in the Palazzo Minucci Solaini. Taddeo di Bartolo's Madonna Enthroned with Child …

3. Palazzo Pretorio

0.11 MILES

Forming one side of Volterra's central square, the Palazzo Pretorio was the seat of the local mayor. From it sprouts one of the town's oldest towers, the…

4. Palazzo dei Priori

0.13 MILES

Volterra's 13th-century town hall is the oldest seat of local government in Tuscany. The staircase bears a fresco of the Crucifixion by Pier Francesco…

5. Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta

0.15 MILES

A handsome coffered ceiling is the standout feature of Volterra's duomo, which was built in the 12th and 13th centuries and remodelled in the 16th. The…

6. Baptistry

0.17 MILES

Just west of the cathedral is the 13th-century baptistry with a small marble font (1502) by Andrea Sansovino.

7. Porta all'Arco

0.21 MILES

City gate built by the Etruscans in the 4th century BC.

8. Museo Diocesano d'Arte Sacra Volterra

0.25 MILES

Offering an innovative and particularly satisfying museum experience, this collection of sacred art is housed in the still-functioning Chiesa di San…