After two unforgettable Tuscany days exploring Volterra’s Etruscan past, Roman ruins, Colle di Val d’Elsa’s crystal heritage, and the medieval towers of San Gimignano, it was time for the final chapter of our Tuscan journey. (You can read about Day 1 in Volterra and Day 2 in Colle di Val d’Elsa & San Gimignano ) A thin mist covered the Tuscan landscape, and Isabelle remarked that autumn had clearly arrived. The morning was crisp, but we were ready to set out.
Our first stop was an alabaster workshop in Volterra. Alabaster carving is an ancient tradition here: the Etruscans used it for urns, and later artisans crafted capitals, tabernacles, vases, and other artworks. In a narrow alley just steps from the main street, Roberto carefully sculpted an alabaster statue. The busy workshop was coated in a fine white layer of dust—including Roberto himself. The granular taste in the air was almost tangible. Yet Roberto remained fully focused, chiseling and tapping as if unveiling the form hidden within the stone, much like Michelangelo did 500 years earlier.
Roberto’s workshop is not a tourist attraction—it is authentic. The alabaster craft in Volterra, like crystal-making in Colle di Val d’Elsa and the use of saffron in San Gimignano, keeps the essence of Tuscan artisanal culture alive.
After a quick coffee and carving a small alabaster heart, we continued our journey into the world of salt.
Next, we visited the Volterra salt pans, where Italy’s purest salt has been extracted for over 3,000 years. We explored the former state-owned Saline di Volterra and the current Locatelli factory. A guided tour at the Salt Museum offered a sensory journey through the history, culture, and taste of salt. Inside the Pier Luigi Nervi pavilion, a 20-meter high salt waterfall created a surreal and mesmerizing spectacle. The BOS brewery—the world’s first craft brewery located on a salt site—added a unique flavor to the experience.
On the way back to Volterra, we noticed circular sculptures in the landscape. A quick search revealed that in 2009, local artist Mauro Staccioli installed sixteen large-scale sculptures in and around Volterra. The most famous are two enormous rings along the city’s entrance routes: the red San Martino ring toward Siena and the white La Mestrola ring toward Cecina and the coast.
We enjoyed a quick dinner near the Teatro Persio Flacco before the evening’s performance. Our daughter performed at the Volterra Danza Award 2025, under the artistic direction of Alberto Canestro.
The Teatro Persio Flacco opened on August 15, 1820, with a performance by the Peltzett comedy troupe. The first opera, The Barber of Seville, was staged in 1828, and in 1946, Tosca drew more than 1,200 spectators in a single show. The evening was unforgettable: the energy of the performance, the harmony of music and dance, and the shared emotions made a perfect ending to our three amazing days in Tuscany.
A heartfelt goodbye to Isabelle and her family, and back to Florence we went. Soon, we promise, we will visit the vineyards of Provence—now that we’ve been kindly invited. 🍷✨