A trip to anywhere in Italy feels like you’re in a film.
You can’t gawk at the Colosseum, sip wine in a Tuscan vineyard, or stroll through a tiny Sicilian village without wondering if it’s all a dream sequence.
Watch these films set in Italy then grab your camera and shoot your own mini movie on your Italian getaway.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Eloi Omella. Image Location: Lucca, Tuscany
Best movies set in Italy
From Rome and Verona to Tuscany and Turin, set the scene at some of our favorite filming locations in Italy.
Castello degli schiavi in Sicily | The Godfather
Nearest station: Fiumefreddo Sicilia
Sicily encapsulates the soul of The Godfather. In our humble opinion, not enough of the island was shown, but featuring the Castello degli schiavi was a great start. This 18th-century building acted as the villa Michael stayed at when his car was blown up.
Piazza Garibaldi in Cortona, Tuscany | Under the Tuscan Sun
Nearest station: Camucia Cortona
Wondering what movie is set in an Italian villa? Watch Under the Tuscan Sun and you’ll want to spend ages in Tuscany. You’ll have the urge to do so again after seeing the Valdichiana valley panoramas from Piazza Garibaldi. Consider it a waypoint en route to seeing Frances’ villa, as well as the villa where the book’s author lived.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Westend61. Image Location: Cortona, Tuscany
Royal Palace of Caserta | Mission: Impossible III
Nearest station: Caserta
Hollywood can’t always put the A-list locales under the limelight, but they are skilled at choosing stand-ins, especially for Mission: Impossible filming locations. In Mission: Impossible III, watching the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman is entertaining enough without the Royal Palace of Caserta dropping by. The Palace stood in for the Vatican.
Juliet’s House in Verona | Letters to Juliet
Nearest station: Verona Porta Vescovo
One of the most romantic movies set in Italy, at least in our humble opinion, is Letters to Juliet. Although it’s not the real home of Shakespeare’s fictional character, Juliet’s House in Verona is worth a visit for lovers of the Bard. The Juliet Club has a letterbox there that you can drop off letters to Juliet, as well as a statue of her and a balcony mimicking the famous play’s.
Gran Madre di Dio in Turin | The Italian Job
Nearest station: Porta Nuova
No offense to Marky Mark and the Gruppo Funky, but nothing compares to the 1969 classic, The Italian Job. Philadelphia has the Rocky steps, Turin’s got the Gran Madre di Dio. Run up and down the steps, just don’t drive your Mini Cooper around this neoclassical church.
Image Credit: Getty Images. Image Location: Piazza San Carlo, Turin
Movies set in Italy: Watch before you plan your Italian adventure
James Bond’s been to the Dolomites, Vito visited Sicily, and Spider-Man even swung over to Venice. Watch these movies set in Italy to get a glimpse of what adventures await.
Movies based on books that are set in Italy
Watch these films set in Italy on the ride over then cozy up and read the accompanying novels on one of Italy’s beautiful beaches.
🎬 Eat, Pray, Love (2010)
🎬 Angels & Demons (2009)
🎬 A Room with a View (1985)
Movies about Italian history
Learn something new about Italian history with these films that showcase the culture of Italian truffle hunting, a legendary violin, and one Roman emperor who wasn’t horsing around.
🎬 The Truffle Hunters (2020)
🎬 The Red Violin (1998)
🎬 Caligula (1979)
Image Credit: Getty Images, vwalakte. Image Location: Colosseum, Rome
Movies set in Sicily & Sardinia
Sicily is more than a White Lotus filming location and Sardinia has staked its claim in Hollywood, too. Check out these movies filmed in Sardinia and Sicily.
🎬 The Godfather Part II (1974)
🎬 The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
🎬 Cyrano (2021)
Movies for kids set in Italy
Because you’ll need to keep the kids occupied before they can get their hands on unlimited gelato.
🎬 Luca (2021)
🎬 Pinocchio (2019)
🎬 Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012)
Movies set in Venice
From Piazza San Marco to gondola rides beneath the Rialto Bridge, these movies set in Venice are obviously works of fiction: the real Venice has way more tourists crammed into the streets.
🎬 A Haunting in Venice (2023)
🎬 Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
🎬 The Merchant of Venice (2004)
Image Credit: Getty Images, Rosmarie Wirz. Image Location: Doge's Palace, Venice
Movies in Italy with mystery and intrigue
Here are a few films in Italy that make you think twice about the characters. Don’t worry, the local Italians you’ll meet (and visiting Americans, for that matter) are nowhere near as nefarious.
🎬 The American (2010)
🎬 The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
🎬 The Tourist (2010)
Movies set in Rome
When visiting Rome, do as they Roman extras did: stand around for hours beneath some of the coolest architecture in the world.
🎬 When in Rome (2010)
🎬 The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003)
🎬 To Rome with Love (2012)
How to book your 'Journey to Italy' by train
Ready to make your own unforgettable film around Italy’s amazing landscape? Consider us your assistant directors. Download the Trainline app and purchase tickets throughout Italy today.
Header Image Credit: Getty Images, Xantana. Image Location: Ponte Vecchio, Florence