Spring Break is coming and if that vacation time is taking you to Italy and you want to get into to the spirit of things, skip watching Under The Tuscan Sun and Eat, Pray, Love and opt for some real Italian.
You can make a virtual tour of almost every region of Italy with films that can be found on Netflix. I had trouble finding good examples in three regions, all pretty surprising because of their natural beauty; Umbria, Valle D’Aosta, and Sardegna. But not even My House in Umbria was actually filmed in Umbria, and though there are lots of Spaghetti Westerns that were filmed in Sardegna, it’s hard to find a modern one that is available in the USA.
If Italy wants to help its ailing economy it consider turning the whole country into one big movie studio. They’ve got it all, from mountains, to deserts to beaches to ancient cities to modern cities – and don’t forget the really, very good-looking actors and extras.
Start your tour today; Click on the links to find the movies on Netflix and let me know if you can think of movies made in the regions I’m missing.
Abruzzo (The Abruzzi) – Pane e Tulipani (Bread and Tulips) Yes, Pane e Tulipani is all about Venezia, but let’s not forget Rosalba’s hometown, Pescara. Her heart might have been in Veneto, but her roots were in Abruzzo.
Basilicata Io Non Ho Paura (I’m Not Scared) Off the beaten path and naturally beautiful, Basilicata was a great choice for the hiding place for filming the story of kidnappers and their hiding place.
Calabria – Le Quattro Volte Filmed in Alessandria del Carretto, La Quattro Volte may be a little slow-moving, but it could serve as an advertisement for travel in Calabria.
Campania – Gomorra (Gomorrah) Napoli, the seedy side.
Emilia-Romagna – Agata e la Tempesta (Agata and the Storm) Agata’s brother Gustavo found his roots in Ravenna.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia – La Ragazza Del Lago (Girl By The Lake) Tarvisio is the setting for this murder mystery.
Lazio (Latium) Caterina Va In Città (Caterina in the Big City) Every time I watch Caterina Va In Città I feel nostalgic for Rome; I really feel like I’m there!
Liguria – Giorni e Nuvole (Days and Clouds) Genova goes from happy hometown to a bad dream for Elsa and Michele.
Lombardia (Lombardy) – Io Sono L’Amore ( I Am Love) The wealthy Recchi Family lives in Milano.
Marche (The Marches) – La Stanza Del Figlio (The Son’s Room) Get to know seaside Ancona in the award-winning La Stanza Del Figlio.
Molise – Non Ti Muovere (Don’t Move) Campobasso may or not be bragging about being the home of a Penelope Cruz movie; it doesn’t show the town’s best side.
Piemonte (Piedmont)Il Gioiellino (The Jewel) was shot in Acqui Terme.
Puglia (Apulia) – Mine Vaganti (Loose Cannons) Tomasso and his friends enjoyed the beaches at Gallipoli.
Sardegna (Sardinia)
Sicilia (Sicily) – Baarìa Tornatore’s hometown, Baarìa, is the setting for the movie with this sentimental and gorgeously filmed movie.
Toscana (Tuscany) – La Prima Cosa Bella (The First Beautiful Thing) – Paolo Virzì chose Livorno for this film that featured his pretty wife, Micaela Ramazzotti.
Trentino-Alto Adige – La Prima Neve (First Snowfall) Not yet available but worth saving it on Netflix, Andrea Segre’s second feature film has a mountainous setting in Valle dei Mocheni.
Umbria
Valle d’Aosta
Veneto – Io Sono Li (Shun Li and the Poet) The port and fishing town of Chiogga is the scene of a movie about the Chinese immigrant, Li.
I Love Italian Everything 