Tuscans and Etruscans

July 4 -6

After leaving Cinque Terre, we stopped by the town of Lucca for the afternoon.  Lucca is an old Renaissance town that still has Renaissance era walls surrounding it.  The walls are very wide on top, and the people have turned them into a park.  It was a beautiful, charming place to stop for an afternoon.  We got lunch to go at a Foccacia bakery.  I had a focaccia, prosciutto, and cheese sandwich.  We took our food up on the wall and sat in the park for a picnic.

After eating, we rented bicycles and biked around the perimeter of the city on top of the wall.  It was really neat to see the view of the city and the view outside the city from the wall.  My guide lives in a village just outside of Lucca, so that added to our experience.  I really enjoyed the afternoon there.

Park and Renaissance wall at Lucca

We continued on to the town of Voltera.  Voltera is built high on top of a hill in the Tuscan country side.  It has beautiful views on all sides of the city.  The Twilight series is apparently set in Voltera.  Historically, Voltera has been known for its alabaster.  On the night we arrived we enjoyed another giant group meal in a restaurant, complete with house wine, varios antipastas (including the bread salad and egg plant), farro (Italian term for spelt) with peas and carrots, beef with grilled zucchini and eggplant, and “English soup,” (the Italian term for trifle) for dessert.  I really enjoy our group meals because it is delicious food and great company.  They last around 3 ½ hours . . . it’s really a whole evening affair.

The next morning we met a local guide for a tour of Voltera.  Voltera is probably my least favorite place that I have visited, but it was still very interesting.  We saw an ancient Estruscan gate that is still intact, which was very impressive.  The Estruscans were the native people in Italy before the Romans arrived.  We also toured an Etruscan museum and saw hundred and hundreds of urns that were carved to hold the ashes of deceased Etruscans.  The urns are intricately carved from alabaster, and include details about the individual’s life, much like ancient Egyptian and Roman sarcophaguses.

My roommate, Bente, under the Etruscan arch

My favorite part of the tour was the alabaster workshop.  Alabaster is a type of stone that is softer than marble.  For centuries, people in Voltera have worked with Alabaster to produce all sorts of things.  When carved and finished, alabaster is translucent.  The original windows in many old buildings around the city are actually made from alabaster – it functions a lot like frosted glass.  They also make sconces, vases, dishes, statues, and jewelry.  We got to watch an artisan turn a ball of alabaster into a bowl, and it was really neat.  I purchased some alabaster trinkets.  They’re my own purchases so far in Europe.

Alabaster workshop in Voltera

We also visited the Roman theater there, which is an archaeological remain of a Roman theater and bath house.    It seems very similar to the remains in Rome, and it’s always neat to see something so ancient.  Voltera, like many Italian cities, was built on top of the ruins from previous civilizations.  The theater had been under a soccer field for decades before they discovered the artifacts.

Roman theater

                                                                                                            

Yesterday afternoon, we toured the Palazzo Vitti.  It is the home of a very wealthy Italian family, and the woman who owns it actually still lives there.  Each room was filled with lavish decorations and historical masterpieces.  Some of my favorites were the porcelain collection, a Chinese chess set from the 1500s in which each figure was intricately hand carved, an amber Buddha made from the sap of a cherry tree, original alabaster windows, frescoed ceilings, and hand painted repeating patterns on the walls that function like wall paper.  In many ways, the palaces in Europe remind me of the Biltmore house, except that they are filled with different items from different places.

Last night, we went to a wine tasting at a local wine bar in Voltera.  They hosted the tasting in their cellar, which happens to be an ancient Etruscan home.  We could see the home, and the street.  The present day street filled with shops and restaurants was built on top of the ruins.  The semolina was very knowledgeable.  We tasted 4 different Italian wines.  He taught us about looking at the wine, smelling it, and then tasting it.  Three of the wines were traditional Italian wines made according to the strict Italian regulations.  The fourth is called a “Super Tuscan” wine.  It is made in Tuscany using French methods and then shipped to the U.S. market, where it is very popular.  I found out that the table wine here I have been drinking with our food is a Chianti.

Wine tasting in Voltera

Currently, I am on the bus to Rome and we are passing beautiful countryside.  We drive past fields and fields full of sunflowers.  I love it!  Italy is an amazing country full of beauty , history, and delicious food!

Fields and fields of beautiful sunflowers :)