Italy like in a film: where you not only feel like you're on holiday, but also in the cinema

The village of Savoca in Sicily, known from "The Godfather" ^{_{Montage: stock.adobe.com/DenisaV &generated}}

From of our editorial team

Italy is not just a backdrop - Italy is cinema. The camera loves Italy - the landscapes, the cities and above all the light seem to be made for telling stories.

Hardly any other country is seen through film eyes as often as Bella Italia. Some film locations were sleepy nests before filming and are now little stars in their own right, such as the sleepy village of Savoca in Sicily. It had a supporting role in "The Godfather" in 1972. Today, it is still a stopover on the Godfather tours offered in Sicily.

You often recognise the locations before you know which film they are from: places in Italy that have made cinema famous - and vice versa. The seven places where you don't just feel like you're on holiday, but like you're in a film scene.

7. Craco in Basilicata - "The Passion of Christ" & "Quantum of Solace"

The ghost town of Craco (more here), abandoned decades ago after landslides, has been used as a symbolic void in several films. In Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" (2004), it served as the backdrop for Jerusalem, and in James Bond's "Quantum of Solace" (2008), it cannot be overlooked - and still looks like an architectural gesture today: monumental, abandoned, enigmatic.

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6th Lake Como - "Ocean's Twelve"

George Clooney steps out of a boat, Catherine Zeta-Jones waits at Villa Erba - and Lake Como appears as a seductive player in "Ocean's Twelve" (2004). Calm, confident, beautiful. The scene looks like an advert for the good life - and perhaps that's exactly what it is: the villa can be hired for private events or business meetings, has a helicopter landing pad and its own jetty. This place is more than just a backdrop.

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5. near Fiesole in Tuscany - "Room with a view"

James Ivory's film adaptation of Forster's novel "Room with a View" (1995) is like a quiet intoxication. The TuscanyThe countryside, especially around Fiesole and Florence, becomes the stage for an inner transformation. Between hills, light and classical architecture, you realise that sometimes you need a different place to recognise yourself. The film was shot at several original locations. In the Villa di Maiano, the interior shots were filmed in the house of the Emerson family, which is officially renamed in the film. Florence stands. Today it can be hired for exclusive weddings or events.

4th Villa Balbianello on Lake Como - "Star Wars: Episode II" & "James Bond: Casino Royale"

A villa that fits into virtually every film world? The Villa del Balbianello on the western shore of Lake Como belongs in this category. In Star Wars, it was the location of Anakin and Padmé's wedding; in Casino Royale, James Bond spent his convalescent holiday here. Above all, however, it is home to one of the most elegant gardens in northern Italy. The villa can also be hired for private events, with two hours for up to 10 people costing around 4000 euros.

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4. Ben Hur in AVEKKJKJ

The monumental film set numerous production records and was awarded eleven Oscars, among other honours.

3. Matera in Basilicata - "James Bond: No time to die"

Matera looks like a city that has fallen out of time - or emerged from it. The opening sequence of the Bond film finally brought Matera into the international spotlight. The film was shot in the Sassi, the ancient cave settlements that have long been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The car chase was spectacular, but the silence of the stone facades remains more impressive.

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2. Positano in Campania - "The talented Mr Ripley"

Positano plays an important role in the film "The Talented Mr Ripley" (1999) as one of the defining backdrops for the luxurious, sun-drenched life of the main American characters on the Italian coast. In Positano, everything seems too harmonious - a mirror for what lies beneath. The film was shot in private villas, on terraces and along the town's steep steps. Even today, Positano sometimes looks as if it has been staged for a life that only exists in the cinema.

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1. Savoca & Forza d'Agrò in Sicily - "The Godfather"

In "The Godfather" (1972), the camera follows Michael Corleone through narrow alleyways as if Sicily itself were part of his fate. The film was not shot in the real Corleone, but in Savoca (see photo above) and Forza d'Agrò - quiet places with a view of the Ionian Sea, where the Bar Vitelli still exists today. The lettering has faded, but the rustic beauty remains.

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