Among the various fascinating locations Tuscany can display, there is one which happens to be completely different from the others, bound to a darker context and tradition, wrapped in a mysterious halo and brought to light (even though light is not the most wanted term here…) by movies, TV series and novels that, as previously described, refer to the magical areas of Tuscany making everyone get emotional and giving powerful feelings as no other place ever.
The reference is to the myth of vampires, creatures with human traits but belonging to the supernatural world, feeding on blood to survive. Characterized by their pallid complexion, true enemies to sunlight, they live in the darkness, attacking their unfortunate victims by biting them stealthy, leaving the marks of their canines on their necks.
So Tuscany, among its many traits, legends and stories, has a clear reference to this myth too.
Volterra, a suggestive town of 9,000 inhabitants in the province of Pisa, has become extremely famous all over the world as the residence of the Volturi, the famous coven of millennial vampires that everyone could admire in the Twilight saga.
When it comes to the silver screen world, particularly to TV series too, Damon and Stefan Salvatore, main characters in the successful novels by Lisa Jane Smith beforehand, and later in the global success of the homonymous teen drama The Vampire Diaries, have their family origins right in Volterra too.
Not Only Vampires! Volterra’s History
Long before Stephenie Meyer had the inspiration to set Volterra as a location in the New Moon chapter of her Twilight six-novel saga, later followed by five movies starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, the town also had a great ancient history, to be found, as frequently happens regarding a lot of suggestive Tuscan hamlets, back to Etruscan times.
The town was founded as Velathri in the 4th century B.C., thriving above all at a trade and culture level, to be eventually conquered by the Romans. After the fall of the Roman Empire the town faced some barbarian invasions by the Goths, the Byzantines and the Langobards who took control over the town. In the 10th century A.D. Volterra went through rather complicated times because of the frequent battles between the Franks, who won power over the area, and the Magyars aiming at conquering it.
Later on, the power was held by the religious class, with the bishops who had both religious and political tasks making Volterra an important centre from several points of view.
Volterra was then forced to bend to Florence’s domination, a fate shared in common with numerous towns in Tuscany. This conflict peaked in 1472 when Volterra was plundered by Florentine troops guided by Duke Federico da Montefeltro.
By the time the House of Medici firmly installed themselves as rulers in Florence, Volterra was then finally included in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany’s areas, losing a bit of its sheen at least until the 19th century.
From the unification of Italy on, Volterra managed to regain power by building walls, enhancing the means of communications of the town and triggering off its urban development in general.
All this made it more and more comfortable for the town to be enjoyed by the numerous tourists who have been visiting it since then and who find it a delightful location to admire both its rich historical testament and the suggestive panorama of its surroundings.
History and Landscape: Volterra’s Beauties
In Volterra it is possible to witness the presence of the many cultures and civilizations that followed one another in its area.
Some relics to be traced back to the flourishing Etruscan times are still untouched and collected in the Museo Etrusco Guarnacci. Ruins of Etruscan buildings that were once majestic are also visible, such as part of the original defensive walls of the town and the acropolis.
This was brought back to light by archaeological excavations that proved the presence of a complex of edifices such as temples and other buildings. The Etruscan acropolis is small but has an extraordinary archaeological value. Right next to it stands the so-called Cisterna Romana (Roman Cistern), also informally known as the “Pool”, built in the 1st century A.D.. It is a rainwater tank once used as an aqueduct to provide water to the houses in the valley below Volterra. At that time a Roman Theater was built as well, quite impressive in its size (it has a 60-metre diameter and a 24-step terrace) and able to contain up to 3,500 spectators, whose beautiful ruins can still be admired.
Piazza dei Priori (literally Square of Priors) stands out as one remarkable place in town, where the homonymous Palazzo dei Priori (Palace of the Priors) stands too. Built in stone back in the 13th century and with a parallelepiped-shaped design, it is overlooked by an enormous pentagon-shaped tower. It contains frescoes and renowned religious-themed decorations and it is the seat of the town’s guildhall office still today. Its design and building inspired the even more famous Palazzo della Signoria in Florence.
Volterra’s main cathedral, the so-called Duomo, was built back in the 13th century too in the Piazza San Giovanni square along with its baptistery. Both were modeled in a refined Romanesque style and display a wonderful wooden ceiling coffer. The Duomo contains five sculptures portraying Jesus Christs’ descent from the cross, chiseled in the round and carved finely in polychrome wood. This sculpture complex is a rare example of an excellent medieval sculpture art made from wood.
The Fortezza Medicea (the Fortress by the House of Medici) sticks out among the Renaissance buildings of the town. It was erected between the 14th and the 15th century and includes impressively high walls and a big fortified tower, the so-called Mastio, whose building was promoted by Lorenzo il Magnifico himself, the most famous among all the members of the Medici family.
A mention of honor is then dedicated to Palazzo Viti, a historical residence built in both Baroque and late-Renaissance style, in the centre of Volterra, that truly reminds its visitors of the Volturi’s residence as described in the Twilight books, with its aristocratic, sumptuous, lavish interiors decorated with frescoes and paintings on the walls. Nowadays it is a House-Museum containing numerous artworks such as manuscripts and other literary works too. The Teatro Persio Flacco built in the 19th century also finds place in its big architectural complex.
It is our duty to underline that, even though the stories in the novels take place really in the actual Volterra, Chris Weitz, who was the director of Twilight: New Moon, did not consider the town suitable to shoot some of the scenes of the movie. For this reason the Volterra scenes were entirely shot in Montepulciano, another wonderful town in Tuscany, which according to Weltz was more adequate above all for logistical reasons.
Among the natural beauties the spectacular Voragine delle Balze (the Wall Chasm) is located north-west of the town. From the top of its walls, formed by limestone sandstones and clay, it is possible to look that far in the distance to even catch sight of the Tyrrenhian sea which is a good 40 kilometers far! It is also possible to take a good stroll along the ancient Etruscan walls enjoying a breathtaking view, with suggestive nuances that become warmer and more and more intense at sunset.
Volterra is also famous because of the production of alabaster. This mineral is extracted both from open-pit quarries or galleries, shows bright nuances, a delicate composition and has various types according to its aspect and solidity. Volterra’s alabaster is undoubtedly the most refined alabaster in all of Europe, thanks to the modeling mastery of the local artisans who have been improving their chiseling skills throughout the centuries.
Volterra is placed on a 500-meter-high hill and it has always been surrounded by high, unpassable defensive walls which are still there today, protecting the town and allowing everyone willing to visit it to watch in the distance and to rest their gaze upon the marvellous wonders of the Tuscan countryside. These walls contain, as a chest, Volterra’s precious historical and cultural treasures of an inestimable value.
It is not a case that the Volturi themselves did want it as their unique residence, an eternal place, the chosen one to exert their immense power.
