'Twilight' fans retrace Edward and Bella's Italian steps: Volterra or Montepulciano?
By Elizabeth Snead
November 6, 2009 10:11 AM ET
Thanks to "The Twilight Saga," Volterra, Italy, is having its day in the sun, so to
speak.
Twilight fans are swarming this small Tuscan city to retrace the lovers Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward's (Robert Pattinson's) steps.
In one of the most romantic moments in "New Moon," Bella races
through the town to push her suicidal vampire lover into the shadows so he won't break bloodsucker laws and be killed by the Volturi vamps.
USA Today reports that Twilight freaks are exploring the walled city, hitting souvenir shops for calendars, mugs and T-shirts bearing photos Robert Pattinson.
But before you book your trip, there's a catch.
Keep reading to see a fan video of Volterra and find where the scenes were REALLY filmed!
The main site is the Piazza dei Priori, the town square
anchored by a clock tower where the undead Volturi live, for lack of a better
word.
The Volterra tourism office sells a themed map of the city and even introduced a "New Moon" weekend package
that includes a walking tour -- "Hot on the Trail of Edward and
Bella."
But here's the kicker. In reality, while the scenes in the book are set in Volterra, the
actual movie was not filmed there. Producers picked Montepulciano, which looks a lot like Volterra, but is less than
100 miles southeast, for the shoot.
Now the tourism battle is on andUSA Today reports that Volterra is spending
more on promotion that sleepy Montepulciano.
Volterra reportedly sent a team of colorfully dressed flag throwers to
the Rome Film Festival, walking the red carpet behind the "Moon" actors.
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Hello from the Volterra Tourist Board,
we are very happy to see this article about New Moon and Volterra. Thanks a lot! Also if the scenes of New Moon have not been shot in Volterra, we are still proud to be the "real city of the Volturi".
Hello from the Volterra Tourist Board,
we are very happy to see this article about New Moon and Volterra. Thanks a lot! Also if the scenes of New Moon have not been shot in Volterra, we are still proud to be the "real city of the Volturi".
And I am pleased to inform you, that we distribute our "New Moon maps" free of charge and they are not sold, as mentioned in your article. For the passionate fans: you can also download it on http://www.volterraitaly.com/Documenti/Volterra%20e%20New%20Moon/mappa_newmoon_volterra.pdf.
We also have a pre-film event planned. Details coming soon on www.newmoonvolterra.com
Thanks a lot again!
Tourist Board Volterra