Events

The municipalities of Volterra, Pomarance, Monterotondo Marittimo and Castelnuovo Val di Cecina organise two weekly excursions until 19 September.

On the Thursday excursions, visitor with an interest in geo-thermal energy can embark on an adventure finding out about the geological wealth of the Upper Cecina Valley; while the Sunday outing centres on the charm of the medieval places.

The Thursday afternoon excursion is called “Il calore e l’energia della terra” (The warmth and energy of the land), and includes a visit to the Larderello Geothermal Museum and the geothermal events at Sasso Pisano.

This excursion, lasting from 4.00pm to 7.30pm, starts at the Museum, where there will be a fumarole demonstration at the extraction well before the guided tour. The completely renovated Museum displays the extraordinary chronicle of the relationship between man and the geothermal phenomena, starting from the use of the resource in the Etruscan and Medieval ages to the industrial development and daily challenge of alternative energies.

At 5.30pm the visit moves to Sasso Pisano to watch the real geothermal demonstrations: fumaroles and putizze, hot water springs, steam jets and wells of gurgling waters form a suggestive natural environment that many have described as “infernal”.

The Sunday afternoon excursion is called “Un tuffo nel paesaggio medievale” (Diving into the medieval landscape) and takes place from 5pm to 8pm. The guided walk takes the visitor from the medieval hamlet of San Dalmazio as far as the Pieve di San Giovanni Battista at Sillano (10th century) and the impressive ruins of the fortress Rocca Sillana (10th – 15th centuries), which has been a national monument since 1889 and has been completely renovated and opened to the public. The Fortress opens out onto the remarkable landscapes of the nearby gorge of the Pavone stream and the greater part of Tuscany.

It doesn’t end here, however. Essentially, anyone interested in the Rocca Sillana (or would like to return, having visited once before) can book a night time excursion, only for the dates of Sunday 4 July, Tuesday 20 July, Thursday 5 August and Tuesday 24 August however, meeting at 9pm in Piazza di San Dalmazio.