Before they became monuments and tourist destinations, some places already possessed their own history. And these very places provided the ideal backdrop and rhythm for the telling of their stories. Veneto is not just home to suggestive scenery; the landscapes here become genuine filmstars in their own right: villas swathed in fog, visionary architecture, landscapes suspended between time and memory, capable of inspiring great directors and actors alike.
In San Vito d’Altivole, nestled in the Treviso countryside, the architecture of the Brion Tomb, designed by Carlo Scarpa, is among the most visionary in Italy. And director Denis Villeneuve was well aware of this, choosing it for certain scenes in Dune – Part Two. The blend of geometry, silence, water and concrete create a suspended space that seems truly otherworldly.
Vicenza, Padua and Treviso: the perfect itinerary for film lovers with a passion for art and architecture. Don Giovanni by Joseph Losey turned Villa La Rotonda into an opera stage, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Pigsty found a home among the frescoes of Villa Pisani in Stra, while Villa Emo was the evocative setting of Ripley’s Game directed by Liliana Cavani. The solemn atmosphere of the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza not only starred in these films but also in Casanova directed by Lasse Hallström and in Marco Tullio Giordana’s The Life Apart.
One of the most recognisable destinations on the big screen, Cortina d'Ampezzo became a superstar in Italian cinema during the 1980s as a symbol of the good life. In both Christmas Vacation and Yuppies, both directed by Carlo Vanzina, boutiques, exclusive hotels and ski slopes became a glittering backdrop for a new, exuberant Italy of fun and festivities.
The comedies continued over the years with Christmas Vacation 2000 and Christmas in Cortina, titles that, thanks to the comedy duo of Massimo Boldi and Christian De Sica, have confirmed Cortina as a true Yuletide icon.
In the Euganean Hills, cinema becomes a treasure hunt: a film tour invites you to rediscover the walled cities, historic villages and the largest spa area in Europe through the lens of films and TV series. From Monselice to Este, from Battaglia Terme to Arquà Petrarca, wherever you go, you will feel like the star of some classic movies such as The Chair of Happiness and Holy Tongue by Carlo Mazzacurati, Michael Radford’s The Merchant of Venice, Sole a catinelle by Checco Zalone or Letters by a Novice by Alberto Lattuada, to name but a few.
In Venice, cinema really feels at home: every street, every reflection on the water, every colourful pole in the lagoon already tells a story. Great international directors have found the perfect setting here, from The Tourist with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp to Casino Royale to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. But the city is more than just a beautiful stage, thanks to the Venice International Film Festival. Every year, the Lido and the Lagoon are transformed into the centre of the international film world – a continuous tribute to the visual power of the city and its role as a megastar in the history of cinema.
These great productions have also relied on the efforts of the Veneto Film Commission, which has assisted film and television productions for many years in choosing their locations, by transforming iconic views, villages and cities into every filmmaker’s vision.