ITALY: Sleepy Italian town of Bracciano wakes up to a frenzy of activity in preparation for Saturday's wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

The sleepy town of Bracciano some 40kms (25 miles) north of Rome woke up to a on Saturday (November 18) to prepare for the wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. The ceremony will take place in the medieval castle Odescalchi (pronounced Oday-skalki) which in the past has played host to kings and a pope. Legend says a previous resident, Isabella Medici Orsini, would dispose of unwanted lovers via a secret trapdoor outside her bedchamber, into a ditch lined with sharp blades. Her husband discovered her dalliances and strangled her. But leaving legend behind Bracciano is dealing with the reality of such a high profile event. Traffic has been closed into the town which has been taken over by the world's media. Over 4,000 media and local residents will be in the town determined to catch a glimpse of the stars. Satellite trucks clog the streets underneath the castle and last minute preparations were taking place before the arrival of Cruise, star of Hollywood hits such as "Top Gun" and the "Mission: Impossible" trilogy. "We hope everything works well and this event brings happiness and joy here," said street cleaner Mario Nardi finishing off the last bit of street cleaning. Pictures of Cruise and Holmes have been put up all over the town which boasts a population of about 14,000 people. Girls at a local bar were putting up balloons in the early morning and a cake shop displayed a window cake in its window with the words 'Tom and Katie' written on the top. "It will only be one day but this is the opportunity for the town to get well known all over the world," said Bracciano resident Franco Serrafino. The last time the couple was seen in Rome was Thursday night when they arrived carrying baby Suri in red carpet style at one of Cruises's favourite restaurants. And it is unlikely anyone will see much more than this. But residents were out early to secure places in the front row of the piazza under the castle in the hopes of seeing a famous star. "We haven't slept very much because we want to see someone who waves to us from a car or a window" said resident Monica Perluzzi. Nothing has been confirmed about the day itself but some sources have let slip they expect Cruise and Holmes to arrive at the castle just after midday with a small group of close family and friends. The Scientology wedding ceremony is expected later in the early evening. Some 150 guests including Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith and David and Victoria Beckham are expected to arrive for the service. Local authorities said this week Cruise has not sought permission for a civil service either, meaning the wedding could be purely ceremonial and have no legal value.

ITN Source | November 18, 2006

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