TV series Spain and Italy
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If you're an avid fan of TV series, then you've come to the right place. TV and cinema give us a great way to transport ourselves to new places, especially given the current climate where travel is restricted because of the coronavirus pandemic, and we're getting our money's worth on services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime in 2021. Today we're taking a trip to several filming locations in Italy and Spain, where we'll discover some of the best TV series shot in Italy and Spain in recent years.

Baby

Baby is an Italian teen drama which was created for Netflix and which debuted on screens in 2018. The series tells the story of Rome's wealthy society is inspired by a true story that shook Italy in autumn 2013, when underage girls were involved in a prostitution ring.

The series is set in modern Rome, in the Parioli district. In this district of the capital, one of the most elegant and inhabited by the upper-middle class, live the "pariolini": young people from respectable families who like to flaunt their economic well-being. 

Also featuring in the tour of Rome is Quarticciolo, a working-class suburb in the eastern quadrant of the capital, one of the most emblematic areas of the Roman suburbs.

Suburra: Blood on Rome

"Suburra: Blood on Rome" is an Italian crime drama which is set in Rome. The 2017 Netflix hit, known in Italian simply as "Suburra" was the platform's first Italian-language original television series, perfect if you want to practice your Italian, but don't worry; the series is also becoming an international hit outside of Italy and can be watched with English subtitles. 

‘Suburra: Blood on Rome’ will transport viewers to Italy's capital and features most of the major locations in and around the city, including the City Hall and the Vatican, but also heavily features the coastal area of Ostia. Known as Lido di Ostia, this comune is just a short drive from central Rome and is among the most accessible beach resorts from the Italian capital. 

Money Heist

Money Heist or "La Casa de Papel" is the Spanish Netflix series that has caught the attention of viewers across the planet. The show follows a group of professional thieves who want to pull off the biggest money heist in history, and while Spain's capital Madrid is the main setting of the series, Money Heist is one of the most watched non-English-language series in the history of Netflix.

Throughout the series, you'll be transported to many emblematic destinations in Madrid: Plaza de Callao, the Ministry of Development building which plays the role of the Bank of Spain, and the Spanish National Research Council which is used as the Royal Mint of Spain.

Even in the third season, while Madrid remains the main location, television's most famous thieves divide their time between Argentina, the island of Phuket and Panama, as well as a quick trip to Italy's very own Florence.

Elite

The next stop on our TV tour keeps us in the region of Madrid, where we head to the popular scenes from the series Élite. Centred on the lives of a group of teenagers, Elite has also had international success, with a lot of the series being shot on the campus of the European University of Madrid in Villaviciosa de Odón, taking on the role of Las Encinas School on screen. As well as this, the series featured several luxury houses scattered around the Sierra de Guadarrama region in the Madrid countryside, as well as in the narrow streets of San Lorenzo de El Escorial

Normal People

The last stop on our tour takes us back to Italy with the 2020 BBC Three Irish drama television series, Normal People, based on a book by Sally Rooney. Due to its increasing popularity, the series is now available on Amazon Prime in a range of countries, while filming of second season is said to be underway. 

The series follows a young couple, Marianne and Connell, and their on-off relationship  through their time at high school in County Sligo. However, the series doesn't just feature traditional Irish landscapes, with a trip to Italy in one of the most dramatic episodes of the 12-part series. Although the scene was originally set in Trieste in the novel, filming for the series took place in Sant'Oreste in Central Italy and provided a stunning holiday backdrop for the young cast.