Alabaster Museum in Volterra

Volterra is one of Tuscany's beautiful town, and it has a unique craft. Alabaster has been a profitable commodity for Volterra since the Etruscans populated the area and appreciated the precious stone. There are natural deposits of it in the area and the extraction, carving and trade of alabaster brought fame and prosperity to the town throughout its long histiory.

Today, you can still find it as a special souvenir. And to better appreciate the labor and art that goes into it, you should visit the Alabaster Museum, where you can see the tools of the trade and more than 300 examples of the finished product. There is also an authentic, old workshop in the Minucci Medieval Tower as part of the tour. You'll be able to see how the alabaster was worked traditionally. The museum gives you a good education of the qualities, styles and types of artisan products created.

If you're really interested in alabaster art, be sure to also stop in the town's other museums - the Guarnacci Museum and the Palazzo Viti, which have among their collections some displays of alabaster, too.