A day with the vampires – Volterra – Day 5 Italy

On our way to Volterra, from the place near San Gimignano where we were staying, we drove a very curvy way and to our amazement the countryside started changing from the beautiful vineyards to a rather rough landscape.

Up on the hill we arrived and were so lucky, because we got a parking lot. So if you´re visiting by car as well leave a little earlier to get a place to park your car.

The first sight we went to was the old Etruscan gateway “porta d´Arco”, which the Nazis wanted to bomb in the 2nd World War, but the Italians quickly filled the inside up with stones and, lucky for us, the Nazis lost interest and left the gateway be. That way you can see an over 2000 year old gateway in Volterra, isn´t that amazing, just breathtaking?!

A short time after that we visited the Cathedral, which is a little hidden. Having crossed the market place, we entered the building by its rear part, near the choir,  which actually looks just like any other of the building, but without the windows and the marble included here and there in the walls.
If you like light-show, go visit the Baptistery. I found it really funny that there was one in there, because that just seemed strange to me, the beamer in the font.

Anyways, after that we took a walk through town and had a short break for lunch at the “Bar/Osteria dei poeti”, which was a tiny bar where a lot of locals were enjoying their coffee and piadine.

I found this too pretty to not take a photo of it…

After that break we went to the tourist information, because I needed to ask where the giant place with the fountain is, where “Bella” sees “Edward” in “New Moon”. I have to admit, I am a big “Twilight” fan. I read all the books …and didn´t see all the movies (Who agrees that the books are way better?! But isn´t that always the case? Do you know a movie that is better than the book??)

Getting back to my trip… The lady told me that place does´t exist in Volterra.. What?! Because the movie was´t filmed here. Yet the book does chose this town as a setting. I bought a “New Moon Map of Volterra” for 2 Euros, where the exact way of Bella´s arrival, her run to Edward and the departure from the Palace of the Volturi are marked. (If you didn´t understand anything, just skip this and go enjoy the pictures. You don´t need to know the story to do so!;-)) I decided to walk all the way. (And then read the books again and let my imagination do its thing!)

This is the gateway where Bella begins to run…

…straight on here…

…past this tiny green area…

…around that corner…

… straight on …

…straight on and at the tower, left…

…somewhere right here..

…through a small passageway…

…there it is the place…

“Through the dark stone passageway”.. into the place of the Volturi

The “Palazzo Viti” was the place where Bella’s and Edward’s departure started. So that must be the place where the Volturi “live, so I went inside and took a look at this palace.

For everyone visiting, even if you don´t know “Twilight”, the “Palazzo Viti” is a place to go! It´s so beautiful! it´s a very lavish palace of a rich merchant of alabaster who also liked to collect art.

Souvenirs made out of Alabaster

We walked the main street back to our car, stopping once to buy a souvenir, a small alabaster heart for a friend. Alabaster is the stone from this region and also the stone Stephenie Meyer described that Edward’s skin looks like.

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Recommendations:

• be there early
• if you like “Twilight”, get the map, it´s really fun!
• there is also an Etruscan museum there, you can visit that as well
• the “Palazzo Viti” – very beautiful!