"Everything you see I owe to pasta."--Sophia Loren
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Day 7
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Volterra |
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For our first full day in Volterra we got an early start and met up with our expert guide, Annie. She led us down the very narrow streets, past centuries old homes, government buildings, and churches. We stopped at the edge of the old town where a massive Etruscan arch, the Porta dell'Arco, has been welcoming visitors and protecting Volterrans since the 3rd century BC. It doesn't take a time machine to imagine life in times past. Volterra's history is all around you. It has remained relatively untouched over the centuries thanks to its modern day citizens who fiercely protect their legacy. These are some of the
Andiamo Italia
The Fiat. By far the most popular car in Italy |
same citizens who in 1944 protected their beloved arch from the retreating Nazi's who had wanted to destroy it in an effort to slow down the advancing Allied forces. The resourceful townspeople took it upon themselves to brick up the arch using the cobblestones from their own streets, thereby convincing the Nazi's to save their explosives as the deed was already done. A few weeks later the cobblestones were returned to the streets and the arch was open once again.
A window display showing photos of the WWII Nazi confrontation and the effort to protect the arch.
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Porta dell'Arco
Did you know? The highly prized white truffles from northern & central Italy can sell for over $2,000 per pound. In 2007 a truffle sniffing dog named Rocco discovered a truffle somewhere in Tuscany that weighed 3.3 pounds and sold at auction for $333,000.
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The Alab'Arte Alabaster Workshop
Our tour concludes at the Alab'Arte alabaster workshop. We watched as Roberto turned a chunk of white translucent alabaster into a perfectly shaped bowl. Alabaster has been a valuable resource in Volterra since the Middle Ages. It was sliced very thin and used as window glass in churches.
On our own in Volterra
 The proud patriarchs of Volterra
After lunch we started walking in the general direction of the Medici Fortress which is now used as an "experimental maximum security prison". What does that mean? We also visited the Museo d'Arte Sacra and managed a little shopping in one of the many shops selling alabaster. We walked past the town patriarchs no doubt discussing politics and pretty girls. In Volterra you can cover almost the entire old town in one day. There was enough time to stop and admire the little details that make this hill town unique. The doorways, the wrought iron shop signs, the elaborate window grates, the pretty store fronts, the stacked stone walls, the fountains, and tangled rose gardens, all conspire to draw you in and tell you their story.
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And now the fun begins......our Tuscan
wine tasting
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It was early evening when we gathered for a wine tasting in a centuries old cellar, in a centuries old hill town, in Tuscany. How cool is that? Neither David nor I are big wine drinkers, but after this experience I think we could easily convert. Our sommelier, Francesco, expert guide Annie's husband, walked us through the tasting process explaining along the way the history and develop-
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ment of these Italian wines. He debunked a few wine myths, made good natured fun of the wine snobs in our group, and was a great teacher. Wine rookies like David and I came away with a better understanding of the connection between wine and our food choices. The meat and cheese selection that was included helped bring this concept home.
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Here was the line up for our evening, four luscious Italian Wines
"That reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for
several days we had to live on nothing but food and water."--W.C. Fields
several days we had to live on nothing but food and water."--W.C. Fields
And if great wine, great company, and great fun were not enough, we were invited to a wonderful dinner of bruschetta with truffle butter and white truffle pasta. Yum! On our way back to the hotel filled with gastronomic bliss, we stopped by La Vena di Vino, Francesco's wine bar, to take in the unusual ceiling decor. "A bottle for a bra." Sounds like a good deal to me.
In Hindsight: We should have purchased some of the wine to take home.
