This town is famous for its lion sculpture, as a commemoration of the town's defense during a seige. The sculptor is more well known by his sculpture of a female, which is not located in Europe. A museum in his honor is located in the town of his birth.

Town (Lion): 7
Sculptor: 3 words (8,7,9)
Town (birth): 6 ("m" is 4th letter)
"m" from Messiaen

This was a difficult one to Google.

Belfort
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi
Colmar

So there's a Statue of Liberty connection!

Yes! Didn't think it would be too hard to google, though I didn't try myself.

I think that the magical phrase to use was famous lion sculpture town, or something like that. I had to throw in "famous" to get it to work.

I think that I'm giving too many movie clues, but here's another one anyway.

Clue: This movie, which contains this animal (7 letters, 3rd = "o&quot in its title, is based on a novel. The animal though refers to a person in the movie. The director of this movie swore off the American release, which was cut. The movie has been restored and the original version is over three hours long. Critics claim that an American gangster movie was influenced by this movie.

Hint: I've given a clue involving a movie directed by the same director. That movie is also based on a novel.

I'm off. I think that the movie is famous enough that someone here can figure it out (otherwise the American gangster movie influenced by it is very well-known). If not, the hint should be helpful. Of course if the clue is unsolved when DT happens to check in, then DT can always give us a new clue!

I believe it is
Leopard

Yes. Movie set in Sicily around the time of the Italian reunification. The "Leopard" refers to the Sicilian aristocrat played by Burt Lancaster.

Visconti also directed "Death in Venice," which I had used as a clue earlier.

The American "gangster movie" is "Godfather" -- invoking the mob would have made the reference too simple.

The movie is being revived at the Film Forum in NYC at the moment, but I've seen it already. Don't think that I want to spend another three hours on it.

So it's your clue or DT's!

This town lies on top of an area of volcanic activity, as a result, the town has been "rising & falling" throughout the ages. The town is also the birthplace of a famous actress.

Nearby is a site which the ancient Romans thought was the entrance to the underworld, and also supposedly the inspiration for Dante's inferno.

Town: 8 ("L" is 7th)
Actress: 6,5
Site: 9 ("L" is 3rd)

"L" from Leopard.

Hint:
A neaby volcano erupted most recently in 1944.

It has to be Versuvius, right?

I just haven't had time to really think about this clue.

I'm distracted today, with more important things on my mind.

Something more *important* than the crossword puzzle game???

Busy with planning your trip, I guess?

Vesuvius seems to have no "r" in the spelling, but I did quickly check to see it did erupt in 1944.

I guess I've to think about towns around that area.

When I first saw the clue, I thought the actress was Sophia Loren, but she was born in Rome.

Actually I've not been doing that. Hard to believe that I'm leaving next Friday -- I guess I should call whichever hotels I wanted to call again.

Trip preparation is boring compared to this new distraction.

Seems like the entrance to the underworld is called the "Phlegraean Fields."

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcr...5vesuvius.html

Sorry:

La Solfatara

Source = same link

I need to work out the rest. I remember that Sophia Loren is Neapolitan -- how come all my web searches say she was born in Rome? Bizarre.

Guess I was wrong. It was Sophia Loren, and I somehow thought she was born in the "clue" town, but I guess she was born in Rome and then grew up in the "clue" town.

You must have some exciting distraction! I cannot think of anything more exciting than trip planning.

This lists the towns in Campania:

http://www.world-gazetteer.com/d/d_it_cp.htm

Which town did you have in mind? Agropoli?

If you type Sophia Loren birthplace into Google, links will come up that say she was born in Rome (even the IMDB link does this).

I swear, though, that I read in the Time Out guide that she's Neapolitan.

Oh, yk, there're always better distractions than going on a trip.

Ah ok, this one says:

Pozzuoli.

http://videoeta.com/person/538

Sorry IMDB says the same.

I guess I get the next clue.