city state · Italy
Commune of Volterra
Origins
Volterra, one of the old Etruscan cities, was long ruled by its bishops. In the late 12th century its citizens organised a commune, and from 1208 they built the Palazzo dei Priori, the oldest surviving town hall in Tuscany.
Rule and society
The commune was governed by consuls, then a podestà and priors, and wrestled with its bishops for control of the salt pans and mines of its territory. Alabaster carving was an ancient craft. In the 14th century the Belforti family dominated. From 1361 the city was under Florentine protection but kept its own government.
Decline and legacy
A dispute over alum mines led Volterra to rebel in 1472. Federico da Montefeltro, hired by Florence under Lorenzo de' Medici, besieged and sacked the city, which was then fully absorbed into the Republic of Florence.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Commune of Volterra was a vassal of Republic of Florence1361 CE – 1472 CE
- Commune of Volterra was conquered by Republic of Florence1472 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Commune of Volterra. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-volterra
- MLA
- “Commune of Volterra.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-volterra. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Commune of Volterra.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-volterra.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Commune of Volterra’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-volterra (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻