Run to Italy

With New Moon coming out soon, there is a new tourist sight.  Everyone is going to Italy to see the the Volturi layer.

'Twilight' Tourism: Fans Flock To Italy To See Official Home Of The Volturi

If you're a true "Twilight" fanatic, you've probably already taken -- or at least started planning -- a vacation to Forks, Washington, the main setting for Stephenie Meyer's books and their film adaptations. Maybe you were one of the participants in June's Summer School in Forks. Or maybe you're on a tight budget, and so had to make do with the documentary "Twilight in Forks."

Well now you need to go a little further to prove yourself die-hard Twilighter status. According to USA Today, the latest hot spot destination for fans is Volterra, Italy. The small Tuscan town is home to the Volturi vampire coven, which features prominently in the latest movie installment, "New Moon."

Just like in Forks, the tourism office of Volterra encourages fans to visit and even offers travel packages that include a "New Moon"-based walking tour called "Hot on the Trail of Edward and Bella," among other attractions. Meanwhile, souvenir shops around Volterra sell all kinds of "Twilight" merchandise and a website called NewMoonVolterra.com has been advertising local events tied to the new sequel leading up to Wednesday's release (yes, the film opens in Italy before the U.S.).

If you take the trip after seeing "New Moon" however, don't be surprised when Volterra looks unfamiliar. The movie was actually shot in another Tuscan town, Montepulciano, much to the dismay of Volterra officials. Of course, if you're going to fly all the way to Italy for some "Twilight" tourism, you might want to fit in both locations, which are about two hours apart by car.

I am curious, though, if Twilighters are even that interested in or concerned with the alternate spots used on screen. The movies haven't filmed in Forks either, yet fans head there because that's the town named in the books, supposedly chosen randomly by Meyer. Comparatively, much of the tourism related to the "Harry Potter" franchise is focused on the film series' shooting locations.

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Carrie