Le Balze
Le Balze is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided San Gimignano & Volterra audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~45 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type nature
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- San Gimignano & Volterra San Gimignano & Volterra guide
About Le Balze
Le Balze, the steep, eroding cliffs of sand and clay at the north-west edge of Volterra, which over the centuries have swallowed churches, part of the walls and an Etruscan burial ground.
Rain soaks quickly through the sand at the top, and the clay below gives way in landslides, so the cliffs keep moving towards the town. Old guidebooks record that a church fell into the ravine in the seventeenth century. On the very edge stands the abbey of Saints Giusto and Clemente, abandoned by its monks in the nineteenth century.
The cliffs and viewpoints are free to visit at any time. The abbey opens only in summer. Keep to the marked paths and viewpoints, and never go near the edges, which are unstable.
Did you know? Le Balze of Volterra form because rain soaks through sand into the clay below, which slides away and leaves the sand cliffs to collapse.
How long should you spend at Le Balze?
Plan about ~45 min at Le Balze. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Le Balze worth visiting?
Le Balze is one of the 13 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in San Gimignano & Volterra, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in San Gimignano & Volterra
San Gimignano & Volterra guide →
Day 2 of the San Gimignano & Volterra in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Le Balze
Preview the San Gimignano & Volterra tour free in the Gingerguide app.