TA TALKS BACK: VOLTERRA ITALY (POSSIBLE NEW MOON MOVIE LOCATION)

Posted January 1st, 2009 By: 15 Comments »

TA forum member SJB123 presents TA with her Volterra experience:

Volterra’s Volturi Campaign for New Moon Movie Location
by Sarah Braasch

The royal Volturi vampire coven of Volterra, Italy released a PR blitz and ad campaign directed at Summit Entertainment to promote Volterra as an upcoming New Moon movie location. New Moon will be the latest film installment of the hugely successful Twilight franchise, based on Stephenie Meyer’s series of young adult vampire novels. Volterra, Italy boasts a hilltop perch, scenic views of the Tuscan countryside, medieval ramparts, Roman ruins and Etruscan arches. But, and, most importantly, Volterra is home to the actual Piazza dei Priori, including the Palazzo dei Priori, complete with belltower, as described by Stephenie Meyer in New Moon, not to mention the alley in which a pivotal scene occurs.

Volterra is unworldly gorgeous. Majestic and captivating on approach, encased in misty fog on the day of my arrival, it appeared as a citadel in the sky. The famed medieval town square, the Piazza dei Priori, did not disappoint either. Nor did the labyrinthine network of myriad dark and narrow cobblestone alleys. The entire scene bleeds gothic royalty. It truly is the perfect refuge for the ancient blue-non-blooded undead. It is difficult imagining recreating this environment elsewhere, or, the sacrilege, on a soundstage.

Read the full article and see all 33 images of Volterra here

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L

When I went to Italy over the summer I went there and as we were driving I saw a sign for Volterra and I was like wait…. what?!
Brittany

omg thats like seriously how i imagined it in my head while reading new moon.
sarah

Wow. That is EXACTLY how i imagined Voulterra in New Moon ! That would be perfect !
Angie

oh Wow thats how i imagined Volterra to be when i was reading new moon. =] they should def film there if they have the money!
Dorothy Hoskin

Just like choosing the sets of the first movie the major factors will depend on how much it will cost to work there and house the cast and crew. One deciding reason they didn’t shoot in Washington is because the state doesn’t give tax breaks to filmmakers. It’s all about the money. However, if it’s a choice between paying to shoot or building an entire set we might get our Volterra after all.
Marie

Volterra, Italy is an absolutely beautiful-scenic town. Of course, this is based on Summit approving Volterra as a definite “shoot site.” I did hear in an interview with Rob that Rome is a definite location. Possibly there will be scenic shots of the Tuscan landscape that includes Volterra. Rome was chosen over Volterra as a shooting location probably because it’s more accessible. Remember that every extra mile and/or extra shoot location costs money and New Moon only has a $50 mil. budget. I’m not trying to be “Debbie Downer” here, just realistic.
Amy

It seems funny that Rome – with so many people and cars (with insanely crazy drivers, might I add) everywhere – would be more accessible than Volterra. But then again, if I remember correctly, you can’t even drive into Volterra unless you live there (at least not to the area with the bell tower), so I guess that could pose a problem. I would prefer to see Volterra in the movie, but there is plenty of beautiful scenery in Rome as well. It just makes me wonder where they will film the whole “town square/bell tower” scene. I can’t think of anything in Rome that would be generic enough not to scream “Rome”, you know what I mean? I guess they could claim that the Volturri live in Rome, but then why the name “Volturri”? I always assumed that stemmed directly from them living in Volterra…?

By the way, I think the scenery in the pictures sells Volterra as the ideal location. The vamp girl was completely unnecessary, in my humble opinion.
Sophie x

OMRP i sooo didnt know volterra was a real place that is sweesome xox It is just like i imagined it lol xD
Ashley

I am going there!!!!! for sure…
MarsUK

ooo great clock tower
http://www.dlfjakldfjlk.com Patty

That sounds aweosme but wait.. did that article just say that this is the last movie to the saga? WHAT? how can that be!? the forth book is amazing and they cant just start to film a fantastically wonderful saga like twilight and not finish it out!!
Rosy

To Patty i think it was meant to say the latest installment plus all of the actors have signed a deal for 3 movies. Stephanie Meyer definitely did her homework and described Volterra beautifully so no wonder its the imagine we all had in our minds. Beware city of Volterra, theres a bout 10 million girls about to move to your town!!
Roma!

I am PRAYING that they choose Rome and they shoot there early, as in shooting in April. I will be in Rome at that time and it would be awesome to stop by the set.

If they shoot in Italy early enough, I’ll even stop in Volturri.
Katie

Volterra is incredible. I went there along with some other Tuscan towns in April 2008, and it was amazing. Although there was no fountain in Piazza dei Priori, everything else was as I imagined it. I even took New Moon with me!
You can drive into Volterra, we didn’t – there are about five parking lots outside the walls. There are a couple of little roads in there.
There were lots of boar heads on the walls above doors, haha.
The view from the town is amazing, and driving towards it was just like in the book.

I can’t wait to go back to Volterra and spend more time there.

I really don’t like the idea of using Rome instead of Volerra. It just wouldn’t be right. There are places in the city that aren’t all that recognizable, little out of the way vias and stuff, but still, if you’re going to Italy at all, you might as well go all the way and shoot in Volterra. I hope they don’t change the story too much.

And what’s up with them shooting in Vancouver? Can’t they stick with Oregon..that was bad enough but now another change, and it’s not even in the USA? Wth.
They call me her, they call me stacy

Looks good. I think they should film it at our local guildhall though, cuz then we can catch a bus instead of a plane.