Italy has a habit of feeling familiar before a first visit. A sunlit Sicilian square, a cypress-lined road in Tuscany or a villa above Lake Como can bring back scenes from films watched years ago. For foreigners living in Italy, these places make an easy excuse to leave the usual routine behind and see a familiar corner of the country through a cinematic lens.
The following seven trips pair well-known locations with slower ways of exploring: a Vespa ride through Sicilian villages, a boat across Lake Como, a kayak on the Basilicata coast or a walk beside donkeys in the Gran Sasso.
Rocca Calascio and Ladyhawke
Rocca Calascio sits at nearly 1,500 metres in Gran Sasso Park. The fortress is associated with Ladyhawke, and its setting includes wide views across plateaus and valleys.
Trekking routes around the site can be done with donkeys, moving at a measured pace through the surrounding paths. The fortress, the small church of Santa Maria della Pietà and the village ruins are all part of the visit.
It is a fitting stop for a slower weekend in Abruzzo, particularly for those drawn to historic sites and mountain walking.
Sicily’s The Godfather villages: Savoca and Forza d’Agrò
Savoca and Forza d’Agrò were used for scenes connected with Michael Corleone’s exile in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather saga.
Vespa tours often leave from the Giardini Naxos–Taormina area, heading uphill to the villages on roads with sea views. It is an unhurried way to take in the stone buildings, steep lanes and changing light that appear only briefly on screen.
The route suits a day trip from the east coast of Sicily, particularly for anyone already based around Taormina or Catania.
Val d’Orcia on a quad bike: the landscapes of Gladiator
The wheat-field sequences in Gladiator are associated with the area around Pienza, in Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia.
Quad bike excursions travel along unpaved roads and ridges between farms, vines and farmhouses. The terrain shifts steadily as routes climb and descend through the countryside, which is part of the appeal. It is less about finding an exact set and more about spending time among the open views that helped shape the film’s imagery.
Pienza also makes a useful base for a weekend in southern Tuscany, with the wider Val d’Orcia within reach.
Kayaking along the coast of Maratea
Maratea, in Basilicata, has a rugged coast marked by rock faces, ravines accessible only by sea and sheltered coves. A kayak is well suited to this stretch of coast, allowing time to move slowly beneath the cliffs, enter small sea caves and stop in bays.
The setting may evoke a James Bond scene, although the experience is notably quieter than a chase sequence. The rhythm is set by paddling, swimming stops and time on the water.
Lake Como and Star Wars: Villa del Balbianello
Villa del Balbianello, in Lenno, appeared in the romantic scenes between Anakin and Padmé in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
A boat route between Como, Bellagio and Varenna passes historic villas and views across the lake. Villa del Balbianello’s terraced gardens and loggias face the water, making it one of the film locations that is easy to recognise even without the cinema treatment.
For Lake Como residents and regular visitors, this can turn a familiar boat trip into something slightly different.
The Egadi Islands by boat
Off western Sicily, the Egadi archipelago includes Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo. Thanks to their intense colours, the islands’ waters, rock formations and coves have been used in various film productions.
Boat outings may include Cala Rossa, Cala Azzurra and the Bue Marino coves, combining sailing with swimming stops. This island-hopping route is reminiscent of the stories of Homer and Ulysses, particularly the movement between caves, currents and small islands.
A hobbit-inspired night in Maremma
In Tuscany’s Maremma, some accommodation has been designed with hobbit homes in mind. These Tolkien-inspired abodes include arched entrances, excavated or semi-buried rooms and wood finishes that recall the Shire.
The setting is still firmly Tuscany rather than Middle-earth, but it is an unusual overnight option for a break in the region. It also makes a good counterpoint to the more familiar Tuscan itinerary of hill towns, wineries and museum visits.
This article draws on information published by Milano Finanza in “Dal grande schermo alla realtà, 7 viaggi in Italia nei luoghi del grande cinema”.
