Author: Becky

I love Volterra, Italy because it remains fiercely loyal to its Etruscan roots.

We only had one day here, so we had to make the most of it. The views were stunning and the stories about this city made its past come alive for me.

Volterra’s history goes back further than the Roman Empire. As the oldest of the walled cities in the Tuscany area, it dates back over 2,400 years. You can still see one of the stone arches from the old city walls built by the Etruscans in the 4th century BC, which inspired Roman design.

Even after the city was conquered by Rome and later taken over by the Medici family, Volterra has kept its independent thinking and proudly shows off its history. We got an amazing tour of the town and learned about its past from Annie, an American who now lives in Volterra with her Italian husband. I recommend her tours: volterrawalkingtour.com.

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2

While visiting the ancient walled city of Volterra, Italy, I spent a lot of time enjoying the old buildings. The doors and doorknobs were especially interesting to me. The texture and shape just begged to be photographed. I loved the worn wood and intricate stonework.

More images from Volterra are coming soon!

The Tuscan hills of Italy hold a lot of rich history. Walled towns still stand above the countryside below, as they have for hundreds and hundreds of years. Vineyards and wineries thrive in the fields between the towns, which I’ll admit was a huge draw for me.

We started our tour of Tuscany on the windy hill roads in a rented car. This is definitely not for those with a sensitive stomach. The twisty lanes hug the hills and their tight turns can be nerve-wracking for even the calmest drivers–and passengers! Our first stops were a winery outside of San Gimignano and then the town itself. The winery was exactly how I imaged a Tuscan winery would be, complete with a view of the vineyard below. It was perfect.

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2

You either love it or you hate it.

Florence, Italy seems to stir up strong emotions for those that live there and those that visit. It’s a proud, prestigious, ancient city that was established in 59 BC by Julius Caesar and is considered the home of the Italian Renaissance, with its share of the limelight throughout history.

The view of the city from the Piazzale Michelangelo is among the best from our trip, and my personal favorite sight while we were in Florence. We went there at both sunset and again during the day and were rewarded with a beautiful vista of the city with the Duomo that is iconic to the Florence skyline.

I wanted to love Florence. And, really, I can’t tell you exactly why I didn’t. The amount of art and history, from Michelangelo’s David to the stories of how the Medici family practically took over the world (okay, not exactly- but they did control a lot of Tuscany), are vast and interesting. There were great restaurants and the food was delicious. And I didn’t have the typical complaints about crime or rudeness that haters have. Everyone I talked to was polite and helpful. I thought the city was clean and safe enough, even with riding public transportation and wandering around the downtown streets at 3am.

Of all the Italian cities that we visited, Florence didn’t hold up to my expectations, by no fault of its own. It’s a beautiful city, full of the history that I love. I didn’t hate it, and I wanted to love it, but I left feeling that something was “missing”…. I feel disloyal to Italy enthusiasts everywhere when I say I can’t think of a compelling reason to go back. (But if you ever go, I hope you love it- and I’d be happy for you to tell me why!)

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2