A day in Volterra

Where to go and what to see in Tuscany to get the most from your trip – a 10-day itinerary from destination expert and leading travel writer Nicky Swallow.

This museum houses an important collection of Etruscan and Roman artifacts – look out for the famous ‘evening shadow’ statuette.

Volterra’s Duomo may be rather dull-looking on the outside, but bypass it and you’ll miss Mina da Fiesole’s intricate Renaissance tabernacle over the high altar and some beautiful woodcarving. There’s also a marble pulpit by the Pisano family.

The star attraction in Volterra, in the Pinacoteca, is Rosso Fiorentino’s fabulous, seminal altarpiece Deposition, which demonstrates the artists’ astounding use of colour.

The astonishingly beautiful region of Tuscany has it all: art cities and ancient hill towns, high mountains and long sandy beaches, alongside luxurious hotels and some of Italy’s best food and wine.

Sometimes dubbed ‘Tuscany’s Manhattan’ for its clutch of slim medieval towers (visible for miles around), iconic San Gimignano is the region’s most famous (and most visited) hill town.

Colle Val d’Elsa Food writer/blogger and photographer Giulia Scarpaleggia and her husband run the excellent ‘Jul’s Kitchen’ offering a range of hands-on cooking classes alongside courses in food writing and photography. Classes are held in their house in the countryside between Siena and Florence.

An excellent cooking school based in Certaldo (southwest of Florence) offering truffle-hunting experiences in the Chianti woods, followed by a truffle-based lunch or cooking lessons with truffles.