Itinerary among the places of cinema in Sicily

From Antonioni to The White Lotus – TAORMINA

A tour dedicated to cine-tourism in Sicily can only start from Taormina, an iconic stop, beloved by filmmakers of all times and home to the prestigious Taormina Film Fest. Its historic centre has been the set of “cult” films such as Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’avventura (1960), Roberto Benigni’s Il piccolo diavolo (1988), Luc Besson’s Le grand bleu (1988), Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather-part III (1990) and Woody Allen’s La dea dell’amore (1995), to name but a few. Today, Taormina and the San Domenico Palace are the setting for The White Lotus, a series created and directed by Mike White. Discover the luxurious atmosphere of the former Dominican convent that has seen Oscar Wilde, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren among its guests. Between Corso Umberto and Piazza IX Aprile, a panoramic terrace enclosed by Baroque churches, you will relive the emotions of the protagonists of the series.

Indiana Jones is “made in Sicily” – SYRACUSE

Already the film set of some of the most famous movies in the world, from Mario Monicelli’s Casanova ’70 (1965) to Lina Wertmüller’s Mimì Metallurgico (1972) via the Taviani Brothers’ Kaos (1982) and Giuseppe Tornatore’s Malèna (2000), the city of Syracuse is the perfect setting for the new adventures of archaeologist Indiana Jones. What better place than the Neapolis Archaeological Park, in particular the Ear of Dionysus and the Cave of the Cordari, to shoot the first scenes of Indiana Jones 5 – The Dial of Destiny? The adventures of the famous archaeologist, and of the Sicilian film-goers on his trail, continue in the halls of the Maniace Castle and in the picturesque historic centre of Ortigia.

On the set of Il Commissario Montalbano – SCICLI

Would you like to get to know the “cult” places where TV’s best-loved commissioner moves? Come and discover the itinerary that passes through the places of Il Commissario Montalbano, on the trail of the Sicilian Baroque UNESCO World Heritage Site. A tour that combines cinema, art and architecture, starting from the town that most stirs the imagination of Montalbano lovers: Scicli. A stroll through the historic centre is enough to recognise the police station of “Vigata” (Palazzo Municipio), the Church of San Michele, the Antica Farmacia Cartia from the Church of Santa Teresa, Palazzo Spadaro (the office of the mayor of “Vigata”) and the Cava di San Bartolomeo. In the seaside locations of Scicli we recognise some glimpses of “Marinella” (Donnalucata) and the famous “Mànnara” (Sampieri, Fornace Penna). Other famous scenes were filmed between Modica and Ragusa Ibla. The commissioner’s house? On the beach at Punta Secca (Ragusa).

The young Montalbano, a return to his origins – AGRIGENTO

Fond of “prequels”? The locations of Il giovane Montalbano (The Young Montalbano), an equally successful RAI series starring actor Michele Riondino, faithfully follow those of the original novels, which Andrea Camilleri imagined were set in and around Agrigento. In this case, the real “Vigata” is Porto Empedocle, with its beautiful beach. The most evocative place to shoot? The Scala dei Turchi, location of many other film scenes, including a memorable one in Pif’s In Guerra per Amore (2016).

Among the places of Giuseppe Tornatore – CEFALÙ

Anyone wishing to film tourism in Sicily cannot ignore the sets of the great Giuseppe Tornatore, starting with his birthplace: Bagheria, alias Baarìa in the film that pays homage to it (2009). If the entire province of Palermo serves as the backdrop for some of the Sicilian director’s most famous films, Cefalù is the location that stirs most emotion in the collective imagination, inextricably linked to his masterpiece: Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (Oscar winner, 1990). Already the set of extraordinary films, such as A ciascuno il suo by Elio Petri (1967, inspired by the novel of the same name by the Sicilian writer Leonardo Sciascia), Cefalù opened the doors of the Cicero Theatre to the first take of this Oscar-winning film, recounting the friendship between little Salvatore and Alfredo. The scene of the meeting with Elena thirty years later? Between the Molo Vecchio and Porta Marina.

From The Leopard to The Lions of Sicily – PALERMO

The cine-tourism itinerary in Sicily takes us straight to Palermo, the set of numerous masterpieces of world cinema, first and foremost Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard (1963), based on the novel of the same name by Sicilian writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. In the various scenes of the film, shot almost entirely in the city’s historic centre, we recognise the Kalsa district (the site of the clash between Garibaldi’s troops and the Bourbon army) and Villa Boscogrande (alias, Palazzo Salina). The epic scene in which Angelica dances the waltz with Don Fabrizio? The location is the Hall of Mirrors in Palazzo Valguarnera Gangi. Palermo is also the backdrop for many series and films for the general public, such as those of the Sicilian comedy duo Ficarra and Picone, or the “cult” series inspired by Stefania Auci’s novel, I Leoni di Sicilia.

Màkari and the others – TRAPANI

To stay on the “Lions” theme, the Casa Florio saga inevitably touches on some of the landmarks of the powerful family in the province of Trapani as well: from Villino Nasi to the Cantine Florio in Marsala, passing through the island of Favignana and the family’s historic tuna fisheries. The Trapani area is also the location of another popular RAI series, which takes its name from the place where it is set, Màkari. The Gulf of Macari is the inlet between Monte Cofano and the sandy Bay of Santa Margherita, between the municipalities of Custonaci and San Vito Lo Capo. The village of Macari lies at the centre of this panoramic setting.

The big “cults” on the Aeolian Islands – LIPARI

We end our tour of cinematic Sicily in style with an excursion to the Aeolian Islands, set of some of the absolute masterpieces of Italian and international cinema. These were the years of Neorealism when Stromboli, Roberto Rossellini’s film starring Ingrid Bergman (1949), lovers on the set, offered the myth of the “wild islands” to the general public. The island of Stromboli, very popular, the following year hosts a second film, Vulcano by William Dieterle with the usual Bergman and Anna Magnani, rivals in love. The island of Salina is the unforgettable home of Massimo Troisi’s Il postino (1994); while Lipari, the largest island, is home to Nanni Moretti and his Caro diario (1993).