The GODFATHER
BAR VITELLI
SOVOCA , SICILY
Where MICHAEL CORLEONE Meets Mr. VITELLI
And ask for APOLLONIA'S Hand in MARRIAGE
The WEDDING of MICHAEL CORLEONE to APPOLLONIA VITELLI
From TAORMINA, SICILY to SAVOCA & FORZA d' AGRO SICILY
Where the SICILIAN SCENES of The GODFATHER were FILMED
by FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA,
with AL PACINO & SIMONETTA STEFANELLI
SICLIAN GODFATHER Movie TOUR with Optional Lunch
Description of Tour :
Enjoy the sights and tastes of Italy à la The Godfather in the company of a knowledgeable, English-speaking tour guide.
Your guide will pick you up at your hotel or port at a time suitable to you before beginning your tour in Savoca, a medieval hilltop town where the fictitious Michael Corleone hid out during the "Going to the Mattresses" scene.
In Savoca, stop at Bar Vitelli, which looks exactly as it did in the movie. At Bar Vitelli, you will be invited to take pictures with an authentic Sicilian shotgun, see pictures from The Godfather movie, enjoy the view from the square where the wedding scene was filmed, and purchase souvenirs.
The highlight, however, will be an optional tasting of Sicilian cannoli and lemon granita.
Your next stop will be the church of Santa Lucia, where Michael and Apollonia got married. You will follow in the footsteps of the newlyweds down the hill into the town. Once in the town, visit another ancient church, dating back to the 13th century.
Enjoy the sights and tastes of Italy à la The Godfather in the company of a knowledgeable, English-speaking tour guide.
Your guide will pick you up at your hotel or port at a time suitable to you before beginning your tour in Savoca, a medieval hilltop town where the fictitious Michael Corleone hid out during the "Going to the Mattresses" scene.
In Savoca, stop at Bar Vitelli, which looks exactly as it did in the movie. At Bar Vitelli, you will be invited to take pictures with an authentic Sicilian shotgun, see pictures from The Godfather movie, enjoy the view from the square where the wedding scene was filmed, and purchase souvenirs.
The highlight, however, will be an optional tasting of Sicilian cannoli and lemon granita.
Your next stop will be the church of Santa Lucia, where Michael and Apollonia got married. You will follow in the footsteps of the newlyweds down the hill into the town. Once in the town, visit another ancient church, dating back to the 13th century.
Your guide will tell you about the filming processes involved in shooting The Godfather and some fun trivia about the movie, the director, and the actors. Discover the history of the real Sicilian mafia from your guide.
Hear how the mafia rose to power, its structure, and about the "Law of Silence", "Men of Respect" and the "Boss of the Bosses".
After all this walking and learning, you will be taken to visit one of the best wine bars in Savoca where you can try excellent Sicilian wines and locally produced, traditional food including cheeses, salami, prosciutto, olives, and homemade bread.
During the tour in Savoca, you will also see the mirror monument dedicated to Coppola, on the panoramic terrace overlooking the Ionian coast, the site of Michael Corleone's wedding scene.
Your tour will continue to Forza D'Agro, another stunning hilltop town. Your guide will lead you along abandoned streets towards the historic square where you will visit the churches Santissima Trinita and Santissima Annunziata.
In Forza D'Agro, you will see the piazza where young Vita Andolini escaped from Don Ciccio's men and you will walk up to the remains of a 12th-century Norman Castle to admire the panoramic view of the Ionian coastline.
The WEDDING DAY
MICHAEL & APPOLONIA
At The CHURCH of San NICOLA
The CHURCH of San NICOLA
SAVOCA, SICILY
Where MICHAEL CORELONE & APOLLONIA are MARRIED
SAVOCA, SICILY
SICILIAN GODFATHER RECIPES
From NONNA BELLINO
Just Like MAMMA CORLEONE
On The 5oth ANNIVERSARY of The GODFATHER Movie, we want to Pay Homage to the towns that the Sicilian scenes of the Movie where Filmed in, in SICILY.
The Godfather is one of the most iconic films in cinema history, was released on 15 March 1972. The film was a resounding popular success and a Hollywood milestone that inaugurated the season of event films. The movie deals with themes related to the founding of America as a melting pot of races and, in this case, explores the realities swirling around Italian immigrants. Folklore and Mediterranean mythology are the main themes of the entire trilogy. Those are narrative strands expressed especially in the scenes shot in Sicily, the historical and legendary place of origin of the Corleone family.
Although most of the scenes are shot in the United States, director Francis Ford Coppola brought the entire crew to Sicily to shoot the "Sicilian" scenes of the film. The warm landscapes, the isolated, sleepy villages, the baroque churches and the tanned faces of the people all contribute to the authenticity of the scenes shot in Sicily.
Let's find out which famous scenes were shot on the island and which locations were chosen to film the Sicilian scenes of The Godfather.
SAVOCA, SICILY
In 1971, the Godfather's troupe left for Sicily to shoot the scenes of Michael's exile and others. Initially, Coppola had decided to shoot the scenes in the Palermo town of Corleone: unfortunately, however, problems arose due to organised crime, which demanded protection money to allow the director to shoot the scenes in their territory.
So the cast of The Godfather moved to Taormina while waiting to find a more suitable location for filming. At that time Coppola met Sicilian Baron Gianni Pennisi, a well-known painter and international jet set member. The baron advised Coppola to visit the towns of Savoca and Forza d'Angiò in the province of Messina, two places that were very suitable for the location and logistics of the American film.
Coppola was fascinated, and so the shooting of The Godfather in Sicily could begin.
After the assassination attempt on Vito Corleone, his son Michael decides to get involved in the family business to avenge the assassination attempt on his father: he kills a corrupt police captain and a drug boss. For this reason, Michael is forced to flee the United States and is sent to Sicily, where some family friends will hide him until things calm down and where the young son of immigrants will have the opportunity to rediscover his origins.
The Sicilian scenes of The Godfather are filmed in Savoca, now one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy. Here you can see the famous Bar Vitelli where Michael asks his father to marry Apollonia: originally the structure was a former farmhouse, transformed into a bar for filming. Today you can find many objects related to the film inside the building: we recommend you try their tasty lemon slush.
For Godfather fans, the Church of San Nicolò is one of the most interesting places. Although no scenes were filmed inside, several shots show the extraordinary 13th-century façade. Savoca, however, is not only remembered for having hosted the protagonists of the Godfather. Savoca is also a very picturesque historic centre characterised by narrow streets that intersect each other, historical buildings from the Middle Ages and wonderful views overlooking the Gulf of Taormina.
NEED a HOTEL in SICILY
MICAHEL & APOLLONIA
FORZA d' AGRO. Sicily "The WEDDING of MICHAEL CORLEONE
The scenes of Michael's wedding are so iconic: the exit from the church alongside his young bride Apollonia and then the wedding procession walking through the streets of the village. The town in question is Forza d'Agrò and the church where the wedding takes place is the Cathedral of Santa Maria SS Annunziata. Coppola pays homage to this picturesque inland Sicilian village with wide shots that highlight the honey-coloured rock buildings in contrast to the green trees.
In Forza d'Agrò, you can also visit the beautiful remains of the Norman castle, the Durazzesco Arch and the church of the Triad.
APOLLONIA
CORELONE , SICILY
Scenes for CORLEONE wher Not Filmed in Corleone, Sicily
The SICILIAN Scenes in The GODFATHER were Filmed
In the towns of SAVOCA & FORZA d' AGRO Sicily
MICHAEL CORLEONE
Talks with Apollonia's Father
Mr. VITELLI
At BAR VITELLI
