Movie clapper and film reel on table, closeup (liudmilachernetska (123RF))
Southern Italy is, in my opinion, the best portion of Italy. Home to the beautiful Amalfi Coast, clusters of trulli, the dry stone huts, in Alberobello, the beautiful mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Sicily. The south is filled with amazing views, so it makes sense that these views have made it into film and television. Some cult favorites have filmed throughout Italy and if you find yourself in some of these regions below maybe add some to your itinerary!
Star Wars fans have so much to look forward to in Italy to view sites from movies and inside the Royal Palace of Caserta you may recognize certain scenes from Star Wars: Episode I and II. In Episode I, they use the interior of the palace to be the Theed Royal Palace; whereas in Episode II, other scenes were filmed in the Upper Vestibule in the Royal Palace. Due to the opulence of this large palace, it proves to be a reoccurring setting for catholic stylized films most recently “Conclave,” and other films like “Angels & Demons” as well as “The Two Popes.”
While talking about the Campania region, we can’t skip over the famous “Eat, Pray, Love” film. The famous pizza spot they visit is in Naples, L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, it was renowned much before the film came out. Perhaps, paired with gaining more popularity from the film, they are still known to be the best pizza in Naples.
View of San Domenico (Anna Delange)
Arguably the most well-known franchise for making this region famous is “The Godfather.” Sicilians know that they are famous for the franchise, you’ll find tours and souvenirs around the island for these films. The town of Savoca is one of the most famous filming locations located above Taormina. Savoca is where Michael Corleone begins his exile and where he meets Apollonia. Bar Vitelli is the famous bar in the film, and you can still visit today and see some original memorabilia and photos inside. Another notable spot to visit is the Teatro Massimo in Palermo. The theater is one of Europe’s grandest opera houses and is featured in the third Godfather film.
In more recent times, Sicily has gotten famous once more from television. The hit HBO show, “White Lotus” has been a recent rage, and season two was filmed at the Four-Season San Domenico Hotel located in Taormina. You can see a beautiful view of the hotel from the main square Piazza IX Aprile. If you’ve been to Taormina you may have been confused at the beach scene in the first episode for season two since they claim that it is walking distance to the hotel but in reality, the shores in Taormina are actually rocky. Cefalu is actually where this beach scene was filmed. Another popular show filmed in parts of Cefalu and other locations in Sicily, is the Netflix romantic drama starring Zoe Saldana, “From Scratch.”
The island of Favignana is a lesser-known island of Sicily to visit but they are expecting to see a surge of popularity soon due to “The Odyssey” releasing in the summer of 2026. The film has a star-studded cast directed by Christopher Nolan, and parts of this film were filmed throughout some of the islands around Sicily, specifically Favignana.
The famous story of Pinocchio was created in Italy, and a lot of the 2019 film has scenes set in Apulia, you may be able to recognize certain scenes around Bari and Ostuni. Specifically in Bari, you may also recognize a scene from the DC film, “Wonder Woman.”
“No Time to Die,” from the James Bond saga, is set in Southern Italy and very specifically in Apulia. Drive around the beautiful countryside and pretend you are in the car pursuit from that film. You can also check out the bridge where James Bond jumps from in the town of Gravina.
View at coastline in Taormina with clear turquoise water at the mediterranean sea on a sunny day, Sicily, Italy (sesonnen (123RF))
Editor’s Note: This article was written by a member of the local military community, not an employee of Stars and Stripes. Neither the organization nor the content is being represented by Stars and Stripes or the Department of Defense.
