SICILIAN CINEMA SETS

Belmond Sicilian properties propose a tour dedicated to the most beautiful open air film sets for 2017.

Taormina - April 2017. This summer Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo and Belmond Villa Sant'Andrea invite guests to see Sicily from an unusual cinematic viewpoint: a new tour will take you through places that have featured as open-air sets in some of the most famous Italian and international films.

Sicily has long been been muse and inspiration to film directors and producers who have chosen different historical towns like Taormina, Ragusa, Noto and others as settings or backdrops for important films, from Nuovo Cinema Paradiso to The Godfather, whose success was also related to the locations where they were shot.

Moreover, from the '50s onwards Taormina has been a favourite destination of many international actors and actresses since the city hosts the Taormina Film Festival, one of the most important Italian film festivals. The list of stars who have passed through the halls and terraces of Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo to reach the Greek Theatre has included over the years a collection of Hollywood’s greatest: Cary Grant, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren and Claudia Cardinale, to name a few.

Belmond now offers guests a chance to follow in the footsteps of the great cinema stars with the exploration of fascinating places on a journey of discovery that will take them across one of the most beautiful Italian squares, feeling like Monica Bellucci, or to enjoy a coffee in a Sicilian village imitating Al Pacino’s gestures.

There are many stops and several films to discover along route. The first tour winds around the Baroque, starting from the bright centre of Syracuse, Ortigia, to then visit the white streets of Noto, both sets for the unforgettable and sensual walks of Malena, masterpiece of the Oscar winner Giuseppe Tornatore, concluding with a sunset cocktail in Marzamemi, in the square of the romantic fishing village where Gabriele Salvatores shot his film Sud.

A second route visits where Inspector Montalbano carries out his investigations: the famous detective portrayed by Italian writer Andrea Camilleri moves between the fishing villages of Punta Secca and Scicli, and Ragusa, a town declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and the city that hosted Marcello Mastroianni in the masterpiece Divorzio all’Italiana. Guests will visit Palazzo Rocca and Via Duomo in Ragusa Ibla, the famous home of Inspector Montalbano overlooking the beach in Punta Secca, with a stop at the Montalbano restaurant with its beautiful sea view.

Remaining on the Ionian coast, Taormina and its surroundings are the ideal location for a last cinema tour with an international flavour: several masterpieces have been shot here, such as Mighty Aphrodite, filmed by Woody Allen within the Greek Theatre, Le Grand Bleu, a great success by Luc Besson, inspired by the rivalry between the two apnea champions Jaques Mayol and Enzo Maiorca, or The Godfather III, a masterpiece by Francis Ford Coppola. After a walk through the streets of Taormina, the search for traces left by Al Pacino starts at Savoca, where Corleone was reproduced, and the famous Bar Vitelli, where Michael Corleone risks a diplomatic incident with Apollonia’s father, passing through the church of St. Nicholas at the top of the village and finishing at the Castle of Slaves in Fiumefreddo di Sicilia, which appears in the film as Don Tommasino’s villa.

So, delve into the heart of cinematic Sicily alongside an experienced guide who, upon concluding the tour, will show you the sets visited during the walk on a small screen. Information: Alessandra Lo Re Pr Manager Area Sicily [email protected] +39 366 6469717

Photos and videos of the experiences available at www.belmondpress.it and ww.belmond.com/media-centre

Belmond Ltd. is a global collection of exceptional hotel and luxury travel adventures in some of the world’s most inspiring and enriching destinations. Established almost 40 years ago with the acquisition of Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Venice, the Company owns and operates 46 unique and distinctive hotel, rail and river cruise experiences in many of the world’s most celebrated destinations. From city landmarks to intimate resorts, the collection includes Belmond Grand Hotel Europe, St. Petersburg; Belmond Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro; Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa, Riviera Maya; and Belmond El Encanto, Santa Barbara. Belmond also encompasses safaris, six luxury tourist trains including the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, three river cruises and ‘21’, one of New York’s most storied restaurants. belmond.com

Follow Belmond: Twitter • Facebook • Instagram