Sometimes a single film scene is enough to change the way a place is seen forever. That has happened to several Italian coastal gems, where certain stretches of shoreline have become symbols thanks to films that captured their deeper spirit, across contemporary Puglia and Sicily, which embrace both memory and the future.
Polignano a Mare, the shot that reshaped Puglia
At Polignano a Mare, declarations of love are hardly necessary: the cliffs suspended above the water speak for themselves. Cinema and television have helped turn it into an icon of present-day Puglia, while the popular comedy Che bella giornata, starring Checco Zalone, brought it further attention.
It shows how a filming location can become a symbol far beyond its role on set. Water below the houses, white walls and blue filling every frame all convey a sense of place. The focus shifts away from the scenery itself and towards the sea's presence, which sets the tone and atmosphere.
Vendicari, the unsettled sensuality of A Bigger Splash
In the Vendicari Nature Reserve, in the Syracuse area, Luca Guadagnino found the right atmosphere for A Bigger Splash, a remake of La piscina. Here, the sea does more than provide decoration: it is alive, sensual and sometimes unsettling. Each image leaves the impression that the water moves like the characters themselves, caught between desire and restraint.
Vendicari does not promise perfection, but depth: the texture of the sand, the silence cutting through the light, and a horizon that brings no comfort.
Isola dei Conigli, refuge and freedom in Respiro
On Lampedusa, Isola dei Conigli became the setting for the romantic obsession portrayed in Emanuele Crialese’s Respiro. In this story, the sea is a refuge and an act of rebellion, protection and freedom, eventually becoming a character in its own right. It does not console, but stays alongside; it does not judge, but welcomes.
The appeal of Isola dei Conigli lies in its ability to turn the sea’s energy into an emotional language.
Desire and survival: the island in Swept Away
In Travolti da un insolito destino nell’azzurro mare d’agosto (Swept Away), Lina Wertmüller strips her characters bare on a wild island. The sea here belongs to the coast of the Gulf of Orosei in Sardinia. Its blue horizon overturns the balance of power between Mariangela Melato and Giancarlo Giannini, turning the beach into a testing ground for passion and conflict.
It is a clear example of how nature, once it enters the frame, can change the entire dynamic of a story.
Mondello and Cefalù, promises and bright Sicilian postcards
Cinematic Sicily has two faces that continue to speak to audiences: Mondello and Cefalù. In Giuseppe Tornatore’s Baarìa, Mondello becomes a place of youth, promises and homecomings.
Cefalù, meanwhile, remains one of the island’s brightest images on screen, capable of evoking a shared memory. In both places, the sea connects generations and families. Each shot puts memories back in order and broadens them, shifting from the personal to the collective.
Article seen on Vanity Fair: Le spiagge italiane dove il cinema ci ha fatto innamorare
