Volterra is a beautiful, medieval hilltop town in Tuscany that is incredibly picturesque. Elegant, cinematic, and seemingly untouched by time, it feels as though one has stepped into the past when walking around the pretty cobbled squares and historic buildings. There is a reason that it was chosen as the setting of the Italian headquarters of a very ancient and powerful vampire coven in the movie series based on
Stephanie Meyer’s “Twilight” saga. However, beneath this beautiful exterior, there is a lot of darkness and the town of Volterra is steeped in local myth and is home to quite a few macabre attractions. Perhaps, another reason as to why it was chosen as the fictitious home of a group of deadly vampires!
If you are intrigued by the more spooky or creepy things in life, a
vacation rental in Volterra is a great idea as it offers all of the charm and typical features of a Tuscan town and Tuscan life, along with some fascinating morbid surprises. Head to the crossbow festival in May, the Jazz festival in August, the delicious truffle fair in October, the horrifying and informative
Torture Museum, and the site of a witch trial. Or, you could go and explore the abandoned
Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra, a crumbling old mental institution that looks upsettingly just like the setting of a very scary horror movie.