Volterra e il mare

The contribution offers an overview of the key points that shape the relationship between Volterra and the sea, with a particular focus on specific sites within the city and its territory. In the last decades, there has been a notable shift in the academic perception of Volterra. Previously regarded as an inland center with a relatively late integration into the Etruscan metropolises’ panorama, recent researches have instead uncovered the ancient origin and founding identity of the city. Investigations have outlined Volterra as no longer an isolated entity, but rather as a city with strong maritime ties guaranteed by the waterways that connected it to the Tyrrhenian coast via the Cecina and Era rivers. The discovery of strategic natural resources in the Cecina Valley, including copper deposits and salt mines, was a pivotal factor in such city’s development. On the acropolis of Volterra, genuine central-place and propulsive site of the urban settlement since the late Eneolithic period, a polyadic sanctuary was founded in the first decades of the 7th century BC. From then on, significant cultural and commercial exchanges began, evidenced by imports of Greek ceramics and local production such as bucchero. Regarding this latter, a local workshop has been identified, characterized by the extensive use of stampings. During the Classical and Hellenistic periods, the sanctuary continued to be a center of cultural and stylistic acquisition, with influences and goods conveyed through maritime routes. The architectural and ceramic remains attest to an increasing integration of Hellenic elements, mediated by South Etruria or Rome, reflecting a period of intense building and cultural activity. Recent discoveries in the Necropolis of the Colombaie have broadened the understanding of Volterra as a hub of cultural connections with north Etruscan coastal cities, South Etruria and Greece, highlighting architectural and material influences conveyed by sea routes.