The
historic centre of Pomarance still conserves
its ancient configuration with its castle walls, the monumental
gates into the city, medieval and renaissance palaces
and the Romanesque church of Saint John the Baptist.
Numerous
medieval hamlets and ancient ruins can be found along
the slopes of this area, such as the country Church of
Saint John in San Dalmazio – a
rare example of Romanesque-Norman architecture –
and the Rocca Sillana - one of the most
important Medici fortresses during the Renaissance, and
archaeological finds also suggest that the fortress was
used in Etruscan and Roman times.
Of
particular interest is the manufacturing of alabaster,
with beautiful objects created with artistic workmanship
from this local stone, and the use of endogenous vapour
to produce energy, with the ancient and modern-day techniques
of harnessing geothermal energy illustrated in the captivating
Geothermal
Museum in Larderello.
In
just 15 minutes you can reach the town of Volterra,
the cultural nucleus of the entire valley that bears witness
to over 3,000 years of history. Volterra was inhabited
by various civilisations and was an important city under
the Etruscans – the
Guarnacci Etruscan Museum in Volterra is one of the
oldest public museums in Europe and houses one of the
world’s finest Etruscan collections.
Pomarance’s
central location also offers more classic itineraries:
with a short drive you can visit the famous Towers of
San Gimignano (30 minutes), the Piazza
del Campo in Siena (one hour), the Leaning
Tower of Pisa (one hour and 15 minutes),
Florence (about an hour and half) and the beaches
of the Tyrrhenian Coast (30 minutes).
