Camaldolite abbey.
An important monastery of the Camaldolese community, it was built in 1034 just outside Volterra, close to the Etruscan walls.
The monastery was abandoned because of the fragility of its foundation, the cliffs.
Besides its monuments and numerous testimonies of art and history, Volterra offers views of the hilly landscape around it, suddenly interrupted by the wild and awe-inspiring view of the Balze (cliffs).
Today, the building has been restored, but the church and bell tower still look as they did in medieval times. The monks' quarters and service rooms were restored in the 16th century.
In the foreground the curry plant (Helichrysum italicum).
My name is Jaap Bosma, involved in photography for more than 50 years.
Over the years, I have collected a lot of beautiful prints on my hard disk from which I have made nice photo books via the Blurb website (type in Jaap Bosma and you can view them)..
Read more…