VOLTERRA, a town of Tuscany, in the province of Pisa, is built on the sight of Volaterras, one of the most ancient of the Etruscan cities. Volaterres is first mentioned by Livy (x. 12) under the year DAL 299, when the people fought bravely against the consul L. Corne lius Scipio. It became eventually a municipium. The people of Volaterrte, having espoused the party of Marius, were besieged by Sulla two whole years. The city suffered severely from the inva sion of the Vandals; after them it came under the dominion of the Lombardi', who were driven out in the 8th century by Charlemagne, and Volterra became en imperial town, governed by tho counts, marquises, or officers of the emperors, who often deputed the bishops of the diocese to administer the government. Like other cities of Italy, Volterra was torn by the contending factious of the Guelphs and Ghibellines. The former having prevailed, the Volterraui were induced to unite themselves to the Pisan republic.
Volterra is 50 miles from Leghorn, about 40 miles from Florence, and 30 miles from Siena. It is situated on a hill, the west sides of which are extremely precipitous, and, owing to the soft nature of the material, a species of marl, era continually wearing away and incroaching on the site of the town. On the north are found the numerous sepulchral chambers, called by the Italians `Ippogei,' to which Volterra owes its remarkable and unique museum of cinerary urns or sarcophagi.
_ A most interesting publics Etruscan museum, consisting of cinerary sarcophagi, gold ornaments, weights, bronzes, coins, and objects terreavtta, has long been formed in Volterra. Some fragments of
walls and columns and an arched gateway of Etruscan workmanship are all that now remain of the ancient constructions. The huge blocks of atone in these remains are uncernented. The Etruscan arch is deco rated with three sculptured human heads; one adorns the key-stone, and two aro carved on the springing stones of the arch above the impost ; the impost itself retains its mouldings in excellcut preservation.
The modern city is walled, and possesses a fortress partly con structed ou the site of the ancient Etrascan walla Within the fortress is a circular tower called the Masao, which has served as a state prison. Volterra contains a cathedral, several churches, a theatre, several palaces, a Monte-di-Pieth, and an antiquated town-ball, begun in 120S and finished in 1257. In this building, on the ground floor, is the museum of sarcophagi found in the tombs, and above is placed the publio library. A gloomy palace, constructed in the 10th century. was the residence of the Capitano di Giustizia, when Volterra was a free and independent city ; it afterwards became the residence of the podestlt, or mayor. This building has been the theatre of many scums of violence. The streets are narrow, and, except the main streets, badly paved ; the houses are often of great antiquity, consisting in many instances of towers modernised. The population may be about 5000.
The chief business of the Volterrani is the carving of alabaster; they supply vast quantities of carved ware to the markets of Florence, Leghorn, and Pisa.