Oscar-Worthy Tuscany and Umbria
Following the Footsteps of Films That Made the World Dream
Montepulciano invaded by vampires in red cloaks. Russell Crowe crossing golden wheat fields in the Elysian Fields. Roberto Benigni cycling through the streets of Arezzo. Diane Lane discovering the sweet life in the hills of Cortona.
Tuscany and Umbria have always been the natural film set for world cinema. Italian and international directors have chosen these villages, squares, and hills to tell stories that have moved, inspired, and won Oscars.
From Podere Grotta Antica, 10 cinematographic itineraries depart to relive the emotions of the most beloved films: from international blockbusters like Gladiator and The English Patient, to Italian cult classics like Life is Beautiful by Benigni, to TV series that have made these places known worldwide.
Not just cinema: each location is a journey into art, history, and the authentic flavors of Tuscany and Umbria. Because behind every scene there's a village to discover, a square to linger in, a winery to taste, and a breathtaking panorama.
Take your e-bikes, hop in the car, or let us guide you: the big screen awaits you just a few kilometers from the Podere.
🎬 INTERNATIONAL MOVIES
🎭 ITALIAN MOVIES
📺 TV SERIES
THE STORY
In the second chapter of the Twilight saga, Edward Cullen believes Bella is dead and decides to go to the Volturi in Volterra to end his immortality. But for scenographic reasons, director Chris Weitz chose Montepulciano instead of Volterra: the Renaissance symmetry of Piazza Grande, the historic palaces, and the village's atmosphere were better suited to the film adaptation.
It was May 2009 when over 1,000 extras in red cloaks invaded the streets of Montepulciano. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart raced through the Tuscan countryside in a yellow Porsche, while a 7-meter fountain made of wood and papier-mâché was built in Piazza Grande, perfectly integrated into the Renaissance architecture.
Still today, fans from around the world come to Montepulciano to relive the saga's climactic scene: Bella running desperately through the crowd to save Edward.
📍 Locations and Distances
Montepulciano is 25 km from Podere Grotta Antica (25 minutes by car).
🎬 TWILIGHT: NEW MOON (2009)
ICONIC SCENES
🏛️ PIAZZA GRANDE
The heart of the film. The most famous scene was shot here: Bella running across the square crowded with extras in red cloaks to reach Edward in front of the Town Hall. The 7-meter fountain you see in the film was specially built for filming and then dismantled.
🏰 PALAZZO COMUNALE (TOWN HALL)
The entrance to the Palace is where Bella saves Edward. The interiors were used for the Volturi scenes. You can climb the Town Hall Tower (414 steps) and admire the same breathtaking view that appears in the film: Val di Chiana, Val d'Orcia, Lake Trasimeno, Monte Amiata.
🍷 CANTINA DEL REDI (Palazzo Ricci)
The underground Volturi scenes were shot here. This historic 15th-century cellar is visitable by reservation and now hosts Vino Nobile di Montepulciano tastings.
⛪ TEMPIO DI SAN BIAGIO
The country roads around the Renaissance Temple (masterpiece by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder, 1518-1545) were used for Bella and Alice's yellow Porsche chase scenes through the Tuscan countryside.
🚗 COUNTRY ROADS
The cypress-lined avenues and white dirt roads between Montepulciano and the Tempio di San Biagio are those you see in the chase scenes.
📍 Podere's tip
If you're Twilight fans, go early morning or late afternoon: Piazza Grande without crowds is magical and you can take your 'Bella and Edward' photos in peace. For lunch, stop at Osteria Acquacheta: amazing Florentine steak, informal atmosphere, honest prices. After the 'cinematic' tour, treat yourself to a tasting in one of the historic center's cellars: Vino Nobile must be tasted where it's born.
For cyclists: Montepulciano is reachable by e-bike from the Podere (25 km, medium-challenging hilly route). Can be combined with a stop in Pienza on the return.
TRIVIA
- In the literary saga the scene is set in Volterra, but Montepulciano was preferred for its photogenic quality
- The 1,000 extras in red cloaks came from all over Italy and even abroad
- The Mayor of Montepulciano, traveling to New York the year before the film, saw his Piazza Grande on a Manhattan skyscraper in a giant New Moon advertisement
- The fountain was built in 4 days and dismantled right after filming
- Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart filmed between May 26-29, 2009
THE STORY
"At my signal, unleash hell." Ridley Scott chose Val d'Orcia to represent Maximus Decimus Meridius's "lost Paradise": the house in Spain where the gladiator dreams of returning, the wheat fields of the Elysian Fields where he finally reunites with his wife and son.
Few scenes, but iconic. Just a few seconds of cypress avenue and golden fields evoke the longed-for happiness, the dream of peace that guides the protagonist through the hell of Roman arenas.
The film won 5 Oscars in 2001, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe. And Val d'Orcia became, for the whole world, the image of "the place to return to," the lost home, the Elysian Fields where righteous souls rest.
📍 Locations and Distances
Gladiator locations are between Pienza and San Quirico d'Orcia, 35-40 km from Podere Grotta Antica (35-40 minutes by car).
⚔️ GLADIATOR (2000)
ICONIC SCENES
🏡 THE GLADIATOR'S HOUSE - Podere Poggio Manzuoli
Location: San Quirico d'Orcia, on the SP146 connecting San Quirico to Pienza.
This is where the dramatic scenes of Maximus's house were filmed: the double row of cypresses through which his son runs unknowingly toward Emperor Commodus's troops. The property is private and not visitable (gate closed), but the famous cypress avenue is visible from the gate.
🌾 THE ELYSIAN FIELDS - Terrapille (Pienza)
The endless wheat field crossed by the sinuous white road representing the Elysian Fields in the film's finale. The road starts from the Pieve di Corsignano (at Pienza's gates) and crosses the Terrapille farm leading to the namesake agritourism.
This is Val d'Orcia's most photographed location: thousands of tourists search for the exact film frame every year.
🏛️ MADONNA DI VITALETA CHAPEL
150 meters from Podere Poggio Manzuoli, a dirt road leads (2 km) to the Madonna di Vitaleta Chapel: never a film location, but Val d'Orcia's icon, featured in commercials and postcards.
📍 Podere's tip
For the perfect Terrapille road photo, go at dawn or sunset: grazing light enhances the white road's curves and cypresses cast long shadows. In high summer fields are golden like in the film; in spring they're green; in autumn plowed. Each season has its charm. After photos, lunch in San Quirico at Osteria del Borgo Vecchio: pici cacio e pepe, wild boar, ribollita. Genuine and excellent quality-price ratio.
For cyclists: The Pienza-San Quirico road is perfect by e-bike (10 km, flat). Both Gladiator locations can be combined in a single loop ride.
TRIVIA
- Tuscan scenes in the film last few minutes, but are the most memorable
- Russell Crowe never filmed in Tuscany: scenes were shot with stand-ins and digital face insertion
- Podere Poggio Manzuoli immediately became a pilgrimage site: the owner had to close the gate to protect privacy
- The Terrapille road has become one of the most photographed locations worldwide
- In 2001 Gladiator won 5 Oscars: Picture, Actor, Costumes, Sound, Visual Effects
THE STORY
9 Oscars in 1997. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress. Anthony Minghella's film, based on Michael Ondaatje's novel, is an epic melodrama alternating between the North African desert and idyllic Tuscan landscapes.
Val d'Orcia represents lost happiness, the dream of peace before tragedy strikes. Ralph Fiennes is the "English patient," severely burned, cared for by nurse Juliette Binoche in an abandoned convent in the Pienza countryside. As bandages are changed, memory resurfaces: an impossible love, betrayals, the desert, the war.
Tuscan locations became icons of international cinema: Sant'Anna Monastery in Camprena, Piazza Pio II in Pienza, Arezzo's Basilica of San Francesco with Piero della Francesca's frescoes.
💔 THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1996)
📍 Locations and Distances
SANT'ANNA MONASTERY IN CAMPRENA
Location: Pienza, 35 km from Podere Grotta Antica (35 min by car)
The abandoned convent where the nurse cares for the English patient. A Benedictine complex from 1324 embellished with a fresco cycle by Il Sodoma (1503). Today it's an agritourism managed by the Diocese of Montepulciano-Chiusi-Pienza: you can stay, visit the chapel with frescoes, and recognize the film's settings, including the large garden pool that appears multiple times in the film.
PIAZZA PIO II (PIENZA)
Pienza, 35 km from Podere Grotta Antica
The dance celebrating war's end scene was shot in Piazza Pio II, Pienza's Renaissance heart. The square expresses Renaissance urban ideals, designed by Bernardo Rossellino for Pope Pius II Piccolomini.
BASILICA OF SAN FRANCESCO (AREZZO)
Arezzo, 55 km from Podere Grotta Antica (50 min by car)
One of the film's most poetic scenes: Juliette Binoche suspended among Piero della Francesca's frescoes, floating in the Gothic Basilica of San Francesco. The Legend of the True Cross frescoes (1452-1466) are among the greatest Italian Renaissance masterpieces.
COSONA (Pienza)
Former 15th-century monastic complex with church, used for many exterior shots.
📍 Podere's tip
If you want to sleep where the English Patient slept, book a room at Sant'Anna Monastery in Camprena: unique experience, mystical silence, Renaissance frescoes in the chapel. Pienza is 10 minutes away: walk around in the evening when tourists leave, then dine at Taverna di Moranda (Pienza pecorino in every dish, pici with cinta senese ragù). For Arezzo, go in the morning: Piero's frescoes at 10am, then breakfast at Caffè dei Costanti in Piazza San Francesco (the one from Life is Beautiful!), finally Piazza Grande and Logge del Vasari.
TRIVIA
- The film won 9 Oscars out of 12 nominations in 1997, among the most awarded in history
- Juliette Binoche returned to Tuscany in 2010 to film Kiarostami's "Certified Copy" (Cortona, Lucignano)
- Sant'Anna Monastery was chosen for its timeless atmosphere
- The Arezzo Basilica scene was shot with Binoche actually suspended with cables in front of the frescoes
- Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas fell in love on set (brief but intense relationship)
THE STORY
The film that made millions worldwide dream of dropping everything and moving to Tuscany. Diane Lane plays Frances Mayes, an American writer in crisis after a divorce, who impulsively buys a ruined villa in Cortona and rebuilds her life along with the house.
Based on Frances Mayes' autobiographical novel (the real writer actually lives in Cortona part of the year), Audrey Wells' film is a love letter to Tuscany: hills, sunflowers, cypress avenues, medieval villages, local markets, cuisine, wine, slowness.
The main location is Cortona, an Etruscan-medieval village at 600 meters altitude with breathtaking views over Val di Chiana and Lake Trasimeno. But the film also touches Montepulciano, Rome, and Positano.
📍 Locations and Distances
Cortona is 40 km from Podere Grotta Antica (40 minutes by car).
🌻 UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN (2003)
ICONIC SCENES
🏡 VILLA BRAMASOLE
Location: Strada Case Sparse Le Contesse, near Cortona
The villa Frances buys and renovates. Frances Mayes' real Villa Bramasole is different (not used for the film for privacy reasons), but the film's villa is located a few hundred meters outside Cortona's walls. Private property, not visitable.
🏛️ CORTONA HISTORIC CENTER
Much of the film was shot in the medieval historic center: Piazza della Repubblica (main square), Piazza Signorelli (where the bank with Mrs. Raguzzi played by Claudia Gerini is located), uphill alleys, weekly market.
Frances walks, shops, meets locals, discovers village life. Cortona becomes a character in the film.
⛪ TEMPIO DI SAN BIAGIO (Montepulciano)
Pavel's final wedding (played by Pawel Szajda) is shot in the Tempio di San Biagio, a Renaissance masterpiece by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder (1518-1545), at Montepulciano's slopes.
🏠 KATHERINE'S HOUSE
Via Guelfa 41, Cortona. Frances' friend's house (played by Lindsay Duncan).
🏪 VIA NAZIONALE (Cortona)
The main street where Frances shops, meets people, lives the village's daily life.
📍Podere's tip
Cortona must be experienced calmly, like Frances in the film. Arrive in the morning, park outside the walls (Parterre area), climb to the historic center and get lost in the alleys. Lunch at Trattoria Dardano: pappa al pomodoro, ribollita, steak. Afternoon at the Diocesan Museum to see Blessed Angelico, then aperitif in Piazza della Repubblica watching sunset over Val di Chiana. If it's Saturday, don't miss the market: it's exactly the one from the film. For romantics: dinner at Preludio with panoramic view."
For cyclists: From Podere Grotta Antica to Cortona by e-bike: 40 km, challenging hilly route but doable for those with stamina. Final climb to Cortona is steep.
TRIVIA
- Frances Mayes, the book's real author, lives part of the year in Cortona at Villa Bramasole (the real one, not the film's)
- Diane Lane fell so in love with Cortona during filming that she returned multiple times on vacation
- The film grossed $43.6 million in the US alone
- After the film, Cortona experienced an unprecedented tourism boom, especially Americans
- The writer obtained Italian citizenship in 2019
- The cast includes a cameo by Mario Monicelli, Italian cinema legend
THE STORY
3 Oscars in 1999: Best Foreign Film, Best Actor (Roberto Benigni), Best Original Score (Nicola Piovani). The highest-grossing Italian film worldwide ($230 million), the most Oscar-awarded, the most-watched on its first Italian TV airing (16 million viewers).
Roberto Benigni chose Arezzo, his hometown (he was born in Castiglion Fiorentino, Arezzo province), to set the film's first part: Guido Orefice arrives in town with friend Ferruccio, works as a waiter at the Grand Hotel, falls in love with Dora (Nicoletta Braschi) and wins her with cheerfulness and tenacity.
Piazza Grande, Logge del Vasari, Teatro Petrarca, medieval alleys: Arezzo frames happiness before the Shoah tragedy breaks lives. The iconic bicycle scene (Guido, Dora and little Giosuè riding) was shot in Piazza Grande and became the film's poster.
📍 Locations and Distances
Arezzo is 50 km from Podere Grotta Antica (50 minutes by car).
🚲 LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (1997)
ICONIC SCENES
🏛️ PIAZZA GRANDE
The film's heart. The famous bicycle descent of Guido, Dora and Giosuè was shot here (it's the poster!). Guido and Dora's romantic walks under the Logge del Vasari (designed by Tuscan architect Giorgio Vasari). The nighttime scene of Benigni shouting "Maria, the key!" under the square's balconies.
Piazza Grande is one of Italy's most beautiful medieval squares: sloping, surrounded by architectural treasures (Palazzo della Fraternità dei Laici, Palazzo Lappoli, Logge Vasari). Twice a year it hosts the Giostra del Saracino, medieval reenactment.
📚 OREFICE BOOKSHOP
Via Borgunto (steps from Piazza Grande)
Guido's bookshop in the film. Still visitable! Today it's a real stationery shop with memorabilia, photos and film posters in the windows. Fans worldwide come to photograph themselves here.
🎭 TEATRO PETRARCA
The opera scene where Guido tries mentally to make his "princess" seated in the boxes look his way.
⛪ AREZZO CATHEDRAL
Cathedral steps where the vintage car scene in the storm was filmed.
☕ CAFFÈ DEI COSTANTI
Piazza San Francesco (opposite the Basilica)
Protagonists' meeting place. The café is still active and has been an Arezzo institution since 1806.
🏛️ BASILICA OF SAN FRANCESCO
Guido and Dora walk past the Gothic Basilica (13th century) housing Piero della Francesca's Legend of the True Cross frescoes (absolute Renaissance masterpiece).
🏰 VILLA MASINI (Montevarchi)
30 km from Arezzo. Art Nouveau building used for both Dora's house and the Grand Hotel where Guido works.
📍 Podere's tip
Arezzo deserves a full day. Arrive in the morning, park at Piazza della Repubblica (underground parking), climb toward the Cathedral, then descend to Piazza Grande passing through via Cavour. Visit Basilica of San Francesco (book Piero della Francesca's frescoes online: UNMISSABLE).
Lunch at Trattoria Il Saraceno (ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, wild boar). Afternoon at Antiques Fair (if first Sunday of month) or shopping on Corso Italia.
Aperitif at Caffè dei Costanti in Piazza San Francesco. Photo at Orefice Bookshop on via Borgunto.
TRIVIA
- Roberto Benigni was born in Castiglion Fiorentino (AR), 15 km from Arezzo
- At the 1999 Oscars ceremony, Benigni jumped on spectators' seats from happiness
- He was the first non-English-speaking actor to win Best Actor Oscar performing in a foreign language
- The film grossed 92 billion lire in Italy (all-time record)
- Nicola Piovani's soundtrack became one of cinema history's most celebrated
- Some extras came from America and Australia just to participate in the film
THE STORY
Matteo Garrone's Pinocchio (2019) is a visually hypnotic film that brought Collodi's puppet back to its Tuscan roots. Roberto Benigni, who played Pinocchio in 2002, returns as Geppetto the carpenter who carves the puppet that comes to life.
To recreate Geppetto's village, Garrone chose a fairy-tale place: La Fratta, medieval hamlet of Sinalunga, in Val di Chiana senese. A village from 1208 on the Via Cassia (one of ancient Rome's most important roads), with the historic Tenuta La Fratta preserving farm, villa and pastures as centuries ago.
Here are recognizable Geppetto's house, Pinocchio's school, the Puppet Theater, the inn where Cat and Fox eat for free. The village provides backdrop with authentic red brick structures, arches, squares.
📍 Locations and Distances
La Fratta (Sinalunga) is 30 km from Podere Grotta Antica (25-30 minutes by car).
🪵 PINOCCHIO (2019)
ICONIC SCENES
🏡 GEPPETTO'S VILLAGE - Tenuta La Fratta
The entire medieval village of Tenuta La Fratta was used as set. Historic buildings, red brick farm, arches, squares: everything recreates Collodi's fairy tale atmosphere.
In the estate are recognizable:
- Geppetto's house-workshop
- The school where Pinocchio doesn't want to go
- Mangiafuoco's Puppet Theater
- Cat and Fox's inn
🏛️ SAN MICHELE CHAPEL
Inside the estate, the Chapel designed by architect Baldassarre Peruzzi (famous for Rome's Villa Farnesina), embellished with 16th-century frescoes by Giovanni Antonio Bazzi called Il Sodoma.
🏨 LOCANDA DELLA FRATTA
B&B converted from 1500s stables. You can sleep in Pinocchio's village!
📍 Podere's tip
La Fratta is a hidden gem few know about. If traveling with children it's a perfect destination: the village is small, compact, magical.
You can do the 'Pinocchio Tour' recognizing film locations, then lunch at Locanda della Fratta (reserve!) with real Florentine steak of cinta senese.
For a unique experience, sleep here: rooms in ancient stables are charming. The estate is at the center of a rich territory: Montepulciano, Pienza, Chiusi and Lake Trasimeno are all 20-30 minutes away.
TRIVIA
- The film received 2 Oscar nominations 2021: Best Makeup and Best Costumes
- Roberto Benigni in 2002 played Pinocchio (his direction), in 2019 returns as Geppetto
- Tenuta La Fratta has been documented since 1208
- The village sits on Via Cassia, one of ancient Rome's most important roads
- Gigi Proietti played Mangiafuoco (one of his last performances before death in 2020)
THE STORY
Franco Zeffirelli brought Shakespeare's tragedy to the Renaissance Ideal City. His Romeo and Juliet (1968) won 2 Oscars (Best Cinematography and Best Costumes) and remains one of the most beloved adaptations of the immortal story of two young lovers from Verona.
But for the film, Zeffirelli chose Pienza instead of Verona: Palazzo Piccolomini hosted the party where Romeo sneaks in, Piazza Pio II and Corso Rossellino were the stage for nighttime scenes. Val d'Orcia replaced austere Shakespearean Verona with its Renaissance beauty.
📍 Locations and Distances
Pienza is 35 km from Podere Grotta Antica (35 minutes by car).
💕 ROMEO AND JULIET (1968)
ICONIC SCENES
🏰 PALAZZO PICCOLOMINI
The inner courtyard was used for the party where Romeo (Leonard Whiting) sneaks in and sees Juliet (Olivia Hussey) for the first time. The palace is a Renaissance masterpiece designed by Bernardo Rossellino for Pope Pius II Piccolomini.
Today it's visitable: courtyard, papal apartments, hanging garden with breathtaking Val d'Orcia view.
🏛️ PIAZZA PIO II
The "perfect" Renaissance square, expression of 1400s urban ideals. Nighttime scenes with Mercutio crossing the square with Romeo were shot here.
🛣️ CORSO ROSSELLINO
Pienza's main street, where nighttime character passage scenes were filmed.
📍 Podere's tip
Pienza is small but perfect. Park outside walls, enter and immediately go to Palazzo Piccolomini: visit apartments but especially the hanging garden with Val d'Orcia view (unmissable!). Then walk Corso Rossellino tasting pecorino in every shop (they offer free tastings!).
Lunch at Trattoria Latte di Luna: pici cacio e pepe with fresh pecorino, lamb, house desserts.
Afternoon at Pieve di Corsignano (10 min walk outside walls): mystical silence, pure Romanesque. If you have time, take the Terrapille white road (from Gladiator!) starting from the Pieve.
TRIVIA
- The film won 2 Oscars: Best Cinematography (Pasqualino De Santis) and Best Costumes (Danilo Donati)
- Olivia Hussey was only 15 during filming, Leonard Whiting 17
- The balcony scene became iconic in cinema history
- Zeffirelli chose Pienza for its "Renaissance perfection"
- Nino Rota's soundtrack became a classic
THE STORY
Three years after Romeo and Juliet, Franco Zeffirelli returned to Val d'Orcia to tell St. Francis of Assisi's life. Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1971) is a poetic, mystical film celebrating Franciscan spirituality through landscapes of rare beauty.
Zeffirelli chose Pienza for Francis's city life scenes and Sant'Antimo Abbey (Montalcino) for the most spiritual and contemplative scenes. Val d'Orcia hills, cypresses, golden light: everything becomes visual prayer.
📍 Locations and Distances
Pienza: 35 km from Podere Grotta Antica (35 min by car)
Sant'Antimo Abbey (Montalcino): 50 km (50 min by car)
🕊️ BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON (1971)
ICONIC SCENES
🏛️ PIENZA - Historic Center
Scenes of St. Francis's life before conversion. The Renaissance village represents the city, the world, the riches from which Francis distances himself.
⛪ SANT'ANTIMO ABBEY
Benedictine abbey founded according to legend by Charlemagne in 781 AD. Tuscan Romanesque masterpiece immersed in a silent valley 10 km from Montalcino.
The film's most spiritual scenes were shot here: the light-colored travertine stone church, monks' Gregorian chant, light entering through windows creating mystical atmospheres.
Today the abbey is still inhabited by a Benedictine monk community singing Gregorian hymns (unmissable!).
📍 Podere's tip
Sant'Antimo Abbey is one of Tuscany's most spiritual places. Go late afternoon (5-6pm), sit in the church pews, breathe the silence. If you can, stay for 9:15pm Compline: monks' Gregorian chant in the Romanesque abbey is an unforgettable experience. Sunday morning there's Solemn Mass at 11am with Gregorian chant (even more evocative). After visiting, drive up to Montalcino (10 km, 15 min) for a glass of Brunello in one of the village wine bars. Pair with local cheeses and cured meats. Perfect.
ATTENTION: The abbey is a sacred place inhabited by monks. Respect silence, appropriate clothing, no photos during services.
TRIVIA
- The soundtrack was composed by Riz Ortolani with the song "Dolce sentire" sung in ancient Italian
- The film was a commercial flop in Italy but became a cult in following years
- Zeffirelli wanted a cast of unknown young actors to give freshness to the film
- Graham Faulkner (St. Francis) never filmed again after this
- Abbey scenes were shot with natural light to enhance spirituality
- The film reflects the hippy and pacifist spirit of the early '70s
THE STORY
7 seasons on Canale 5 (2002-2008). One of Mediaset's most successful series of the 2000s. Città della Pieve, Umbrian village on the Tuscany border, was the main location for the first 6 seasons (season 7 moved to Montepulciano).
Characterized by its red brick buildings, Città della Pieve became the scene of breathtaking chases between police and criminals, but also romantic love stories. Actors like Manuela Arcuri, Lorenzo Crespi, Ettore Bassi, Luca Argentero, Martina Colombari became famous through this series.
The series' locations are still recognizable walking through the historic center: the police station, Pippo's Bar (still active!), Gemma's pizzeria.
📍 Locations and Distances
Città della Pieve is 15 km from Podere Grotta Antica (20 minutes by car). It's the closest location of the entire cinematographic tour!
👮 CARABINIERI (TV Series, 2002-2008)
ICONIC SCNES
👮 POLICE STATION
Via Santa Maria Maddalena 34
In fiction: Carabinieri headquarters.
In reality: State Vocational Institute.
Recognizable from outside.
☕ PIPPO'S BAR
Piazza Matteotti
The famous bar where protagonists meet to talk, take breaks, intertwine stories. STILL ACTIVE today with the same name! You can enter, have coffee and sit exactly where the series' characters sat.
🍕 GEMMA'S OLD PIZZERIA
Via Garibaldi (historic center)
The restaurant managed by Gemma (series character). In reality it's a real pizzeria, steps from the Oratorio dei Bianchi housing Perugino's Adoration of the Magi.
🏛️ HISTORIC CENTER
Alleys, squares, staircases: the entire center was used for chases, action scenes, romantic walks.
🚂 TRAIN STATION
First season: Città della Pieve station.
From second season: Chiusi-Chianciano Terme Station (very close to Podere Grotta Antica!)
📍 Podere's tip
Città della Pieve is only 15 km from the Podere: perfect for half a day. Park outside the walls (Viale Icilio Vanni Parking, free), enter through Porta Fiorentina and walk the center. Find Pippo's Bar in Piazza Matteotti and have coffee sitting exactly where the Carabinieri sat in the series! Visit Oratorio dei Bianchi for Perugino's Adoration of the Magi (absolute masterpiece). Lunch at Trattoria Bruno Coppetta (reserve!): amazing cacio e pepe, quality meat, genuine atmosphere. Don't miss Vicolo Baciadonne, Italy's narrowest.
TRIVIA
- The series launched Manuela Arcuri's career, who became one of the 2000s' most famous actresses
- Luca Argentero appeared in the series before becoming Italian cinema star
- Pippo's Bar really exists and kept the series' name!
- Season 7 moved to Montepulciano (another location on our tour!)
- The series had a spin-off miniseries: "Carabinieri - Undercover" (2005)
- Total: 122 episodes in 7 seasons
THE STORY
International RAI fiction (Italy-UK co-production) broadcast in over 100 countries. 3 seasons (2016-2019) recounting the Medici family's rise in Renaissance Florence.
International cast: Dustin Hoffman, Richard Madden (later Game of Thrones and Bodyguard star), Raoul Bova. Directed by Sergio Mimic-Gezzan, Jan Maria Michelini, Christian Duguay.
Val d'Orcia hills and villages of Montepulciano and Pienza provided backdrop for Florentine events. Montepulciano in particular transformed into an incredibly charming medieval/Renaissance set.
📍 Locations and Distances
Montepulciano: 25 km from Podere (25 min)
Pienza: 35 km from Podere (35 min)
👑 MEDICI (TV series, 2016-2019)
ICONIC SCENES
🏛️ MONTEPULCIANO:
PIAZZA GRANDE:
During filming, the square was completely covered with tufa to recreate medieval appearance. Those who visited Montepulciano during that period experienced an incredible time travel.
CATHEDRAL:
The unfinished façade of the Cathedral (Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta) was used for exterior scenes. The "raw" brick façade perfectly suited the Renaissance setting.
PALAZZO COMUNALE:
Exteriors and interiors used for Florentine palace scenes.
🏛️ PIENZA:
PALAZZO PICCOLOMINI:
Interiors and exteriors for court scenes.
PIAZZA PIO II:
The "perfect" Renaissance square used for processions, meetings, court life scenes.
📍 Podere's tip
If you're Medici fans, combine Montepulciano and Pienza in a single day (they're 15 km apart). Morning in Montepulciano: Piazza Grande, Cathedral, Town Hall Tower (climb for view!), Vino Nobile.
Lunch in Pienza: Trattoria Latte di Luna or Osteria Sette di Vino.
Afternoon in Pienza: Palazzo Piccolomini (hanging garden!), Piazza Pio II, pecorino tasting. If you have time, stop at Madonna di Vitaleta Chapel (Val d'Orcia icon, 5 min from Pienza on dirt road).
TRIVIA
- The series was broadcast in over 100 countries
- Dustin Hoffman played Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (dynasty founder)
- Richard Madden (Cosimo de' Medici) later became famous for Game of Thrones and Bodyguard
- Raoul Bova played Pope Sixtus IV in season two
- Production budget: millions of euros to recreate the Renaissance
- Montepulciano's Piazza Grande was covered with tufa for filming: those who visited during those months experienced a unique experience
Ready for your cinematographic film tour?
From Podere Grotta Antica, 10 itineraries depart to experience cinema between Tuscany and Umbria.
Whether you're Twilight fans or Gladiator enthusiasts, Benigni admirers or devotees of Zeffirelli's Renaissance, these villages await you.
Not just locations: art, history, wine, cuisine, breathtaking panoramas.