La Sassa is a suggestive medieval town positioned on the spur of the hill, and looks east along the valley of the river Sterza.

From the town it is possible to undertake numerous trips and around the surrounding areas.  To be noted the one to the top of Poggio al Pruno: from which you can enjoy an immense and very evocative view. From one side which looks towards the sea and the Tuscany archipelago and from the other looking in-land where Volterra and numerous town centres are visible.

The fumarole Area and the Collline Metallifere are also visible. Instead by foot from Poggio al Pruno you can start the famous viale dei cipressi , which leads to the town of Bolgheri.   mentioned by Carducci in the poem “Davanti San Guido”.

The first documental references found date back to 1008, when Count Gherardo sold half of the household (property) owned in the Sassa area, in the plover Of San Giovanni di Casale.  In 1208 it fell under the hegemony of the borough of Volterra and it was then that the fight between the borough and the bishop for the town began, giving little importance to the fact that Emperor Enrico VI had already assigned the Castle of the Sassa to the bishop of Volterra.

Today the town still shows its antique structural architecture towered over by a massive tower which perhaps constituted the  base of the antique rock. Walking down through the towns alleys a visit to the church of San Martino is merited.  The internal architecture is composed of a central nave and semi-circular apse. The church was enlarged at the end of the 18th century and today has a double apse (aisle). It has actually got two alters: to the left the S.S. Rosario altar and the main altar  which was rebuilt in 1963.

Living up to its artistic interest is the baptistry of a pinkish coloured marble; connected to a rectangular column on which another half column rests, decorated by an astragal of acanthus leaves and the oratory of the redeemer.