Many of us were introduced to the beauty and awe of Italy through the silver screen. For those of us not lucky enough to grow up in, or frequently visit, this magical country, watching it in our favorite movies and TV shows was how we first fell in love with Italy. We learned through these beloved stories that Italy’s magnetic pull isn’t just about gelato and gondolas, it’s about its light, its history, and its people and how they infuse every frame of film and television with a sense of place so tangible you can almost taste the sea salt on your tongue. From across the sea and land we saw the sun‑baked Baroque facades of Sicily, or the pastel‑cliff perches of Cinque Terre, Iconic Italian locations that for many prompted Italy to go straight to the top of the bucket list. We’ve highlighted a few of our favorite mentions of Italy through movies and TV.
The TV & Film of Sicily: The White Lotus, The Godfather & More
When The White Lotus returned for its second season, it brought global attention to the distinct beauty of Taormina, Sicily. Much of the show was filmed at the San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons hotel set in a former 14th-century convent. That now-iconic cliff top pool, where characters exchanged secrets, overlooks the Ionian Sea with Mount Etna in view—just as it does in real life. Taormina also offers a more authentic side, with local eateries and architectural icons around almost every corner, and a view of the island that is hard to beat.
Outside of Taormina, several key moments of the show were filmed across the island in Palermo. Though not featured in the series, this city offers a rich contrast with its street food culture and layered history. The elegant Villa Tasca, where Daphne and Harper shared their overnight stay, is a private residence—but the lush greenery of Palermo’s Orto Botanico echoes its grandeur, open to the public for a quiet escape.
Further south, Noto’s grand Baroque facades also made a brief but memorable appearance. It’s here that Ethan and Daphne wandered through sunlit streets, framed by the town’s honey-colored stone and dramatic architecture.
Long before The White Lotus, and as referenced in the show, Sicily had its widespread cinematic debut through The Godfather trilogy. While the fictional Corleone was never used as a filming location, a couple other Sicilian towns stood in for Michael Corleone’s time in Sicily. In Savoca, you can visit Bar Vitelli, where Michael met Apollonia’s father. Further south, in Catania, you can visit the spot where Apollonia met her tragic end at Castello degli Schiavi in Fiumefreddo di Sicilia. Both locations are sure to make you feel like you’ve stepped into these iconic scenes.
A Guided Look Into the Luxuries of Sicily
Our Small Group Trip to Sicily explores the beauty of Catania and Taormina, and beyond. While some media representations of Sicily highlight the drama of Sicily, our trip slows things down. You’ll explore Mount Etna’s volcanic slopes during harvest season, unwind in quiet wellness-focused stays, and get to know the region through local food, wine, and people. It’s a grounded way to experience a place you’ve only seen on screen. See the full itinerary here.
Seeing the Real Naples: The Grit and Glory of My Brilliant Friend
HBO’s My Brilliant Friend, based on Elena Ferrante’s novels, captures the raw beauty of Naples perfectly. Through the show, viewers get to see the intimate, rough-edged, and deeply personal neighborhoods of the city. Much of the first season was filmed in a faithful reconstruction of the Rione Luzzatti neighborhood, where Lila and Elena’s childhoods took place. Though the original area has changed over time, its spirit lives on in the series: tight alleyways, hanging laundry, and the kind of communal rhythm that shapes a person from the inside out.
Other scenes showcase the grandeur of Naples itself. Piazza del Plebiscito appears throughout the series as a backdrop to key turning points in the girls’ lives with its sweeping colonnades and solemn statues contrasting with the chaos of their youth. Later seasons venture along the Lungomare Caracciolo, a promenade in Naples with a backdrop of Vesuvius and a view of the open sea.
Beyond the spots highlighted in the series, Naples offers its own cinematic moments. L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, famously visited by Anthony Bourdain and Eat Pray Love, isn’t far from the world Ferrante describes—a reminder that Naples’s culinary culture is one of its most enduring legacies.
To get a deeper look into the fascinating and complex history of Naples, the Catacombs of San Gennaro, the fortress-like Castel dell’Ovo jutting, and the Royal Palace of Naples, are unforgettable spots that really help visitors get a sense for the identity of Naples. These aren’t just sites to visit—they’re part of the city’s ongoing story, one that Ferrante’s work has been able to carry across generations.
Explore Cinque Terre: The Coastal Charm That Inspired Luca | Iconic Italian Locations
It was only a matter of time before Disney decided to capture the charm of Italy in one of their films. They did just that with the Pixar movie, Luca, viewers are transported into a seaside fantasy built on the real‑world magic of Cinque Terre.
Luca is a fairy tale in spirit, but its setting draws heavily from real places along the Ligurian coast—most notably the Cinque Terre. The fictional town of Portorosso is a blend of the five cliffside villages that are the area’s namesake. Vernazza’s tiny harbor, ringed by pastel houses and bobbing fishing boats, is practically a shot‑for‑shot match for Luca and Alberto’s first day ashore. The tight facades, narrow alleyways, and zipping Vespas seen in the film mirror the everyday rhythm of Vernazza’s waterfront.
Monterosso, the largest of the five towns, inspired several of the film’s seaside scenes. It has rocky outcrops and secluded swimming spots that echo the cliff-diving adventures that Luca and Alberto embark on. Though the movie adds a bit of animated flair (and a few fins), the feeling of sun-warmed stone and open sea is unmistakably drawn from this stretch of coastline.
Though no single town is an exact replica of Portorosso, when wandering the Cinque Terre it is easy to see how well it is suited for a brightly animated film. It feels like stepping into a living storyboard, that you get to be a part of.
Rome: From Teen Comedy to Timeless Romance
For many millennials, The Lizzie McGuire Movie served as a virtual tour of Rome, introducing hordes of young teens to the beauty and spontaneity of Rome. One key location featured in that film is Villa d’Este in Tivoli—a 16th‑century villa built by Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este. You can see it in the scene where Lizzie and Paolo wander through gardens and fountains as he introduces her to the sites of the city. Today, this site is still renowned for its meticulously maintained Renaissance gardens and an impressive hydraulic system that still powers over 500 fountains. It’s a popular day‑trip destination from Rome and perfect for those interested in wandering the grounds just as Lizzie did.
Nearly 70 years before Lizzie McGuire, Roman Holiday introduced audiences to Rome’s blend of ancient history and modern vivacity. Iconic sites such as the Mouth of Truth and the Colosseum, which provided the setting for Audrey Hepburn’s adventures, draw mass amounts of visitors, but for good reason. The history represented in these sites is hard to comprehend when just watching them through a screen. The best way to experience them is to see them firsthand.
More recently, the film Conclave uses the exterior settings around Vatican City—such as Bernini’s colonnade at St. Peter’s Basilica and the public areas of the Vatican Museums. These settings are dramatic and grande, creating the perfect setting for a political drama like Conclave. While some interiors were created in studios, these exteriors remain accessible to visitors, offering a real‑life connection to the films’ portrayals of the complex dealings of this fascinating city.
Beyond the Script: When Travel Shows Write Their Own Stories
Some of the most revealing portraits of Italy today come not from dramas or films, but from shows that follow real people moving through real places. In The Reluctant Traveler Season 2, Eugene Levy documents his personal, often candid experiences as he explores the local food scenes and cultural traditions. In the episode dedicated to Italy, Eugene comes to the same conclusion that many travelers do when visiting Italy—it is always a beautiful place to visit, but it is the country’s authenticity that cannot easily be forgotten. Getting to know the real Italy is what keeps people coming back over and over.
Another of our favorite travel shows to Italy is Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. The entire series is dedicated to exploring Italy and the hearts of the people that live there. It takes a detailed look at several regions by focusing on local dishes and the longstanding traditions that inspire them. In Naples, Tucci explored the tight alleyways with a local pizzaiolo, sampling dishes like Genovese that have been perfected over decades. In Puglia, he visited family-run establishments where artisanal pasta is still made by hand. Still further, in Venice, Tucci’s exploration of cicchetti bars in the Cannaregio district goes beyond the standard tourist itinerary, revealing a side of the city that many visitors miss.
These shows are worth mentioning because they highlight the natural rhythms of daily life in Italy. While their aim is to educate viewers about Italian food and travel, they also offer a glimpse behind the curtain—revealing why Italy remains one of the most visited countries in the world. They remind us that the more deeply you immerse yourself, the more meaningful your experience becomes.
Final Take on Italian Travel
The on‑screen images of Italy offer just a look into what the country has to offer. From the historical grandeur of Rome’s ancient sites to the intimate settings of sparkling sunshine of the Cinque Terre, and the real‑life stories captured on modern travel shows, the places that have defined Italy in popular culture are as dynamic and accessible today as they were when the films were made. For many travelers, these locations provide not only the context of a story remembered from the screen but also the opportunity to experience history, culture, and community firsthand.
Explore these destinations with the understanding that every visited spot carries the legacy of its cinematic past while offering contemporary insights and experiences for today’s visitor. Our travel designers know how important it is to see the true Italy. We craft our trips around authenticity and immersion for exactly that reason. Small group trips and personalized itineraries are made more worth it when they show you parts of a destination you never would have seen for yourself.
