Tuscany is one of the places we dream about when we think of travelling, discovering and enjoying nature. Located in the middle of the country, with the capital and also the largest city: Florence. Tuscany has many more surprises like the Tower of Pisa or the cosy village of Lucca where you can escape from everything, literally everything. Enormous natural landscapes with beautiful walled towns, the vineyards and its delicious wines, the monuments and history you can relive… This region is also very popular among movie makers and today we are going to live a real movie holiday in Tuscany! Are you coming?
A movie holiday in Tuscany
The beauty of Tuscany has never remained unnoticed, and certainly not among many film producers. There are many filmmakers who have been inspired by this region in order to create some of the most recognisable movies in our history. The art of film is the perfect way to get acquainted with new places that can inspire us when choosing our vacation destination. Whether or not you have decided that Tuscany is your perfect holiday destination for this summer, what about this summary with movies recorded in this beautiful region of Italy?
Under the Tuscan sun (Audrey Wells, 2004)
When Frances, an American writer who just divorced her husband, is offered a 10 day holiday by a friend, it doesn’t really seem that she wants to go at all. But her friend is convinced that this holiday will help Frances to get over him. Frances arrives in Cortona, a beautiful Tuscan town where she falls in love with a dilapidated villa. Nevertheless, Frances decides to buy and repair the villa. Not only is the house restored, but Frances is also recovering from an emotional breakdown because of the divorce. She opens herself for new people and experiences.
The English patient (Anthony Minghella, 1996)
A tremendously abandoned monastery in Tuscany is the place where an English patient, a man who was heavily burned during World War II, is recovering thanks to the care of Hana, a French-Canadian nurse. The mysterious man refuses to tell more about himself. Only through flashbacks of his time in the war, we are getting to know more about his identity. This way, we find out that he was Count Lázló Almásy, injured while trying to discover unknown places in the Sahara. Almásy, who had a marriage relationship at the time, tells us based on his memories how a sequence of events has finally protested him to stay in a bed forever, with most of his body burned which makes him always dependent on the care of a nurse. The story also let us meet Hana and her love story full of excitement. She falls in love with Kip, a man who knows how to defuse bombs and suddenly accompanies them in the monastery.
This story, full of romance, loss and lives seized by cruel and the unjust war, is the setting for one of the most tragic love stories that the film industry created. A story full of holes and wounds, but also with beauty and hope in what the future and the end of the war will bring.
Life is beautiful (Roberto Benigni, 1997)
“Good Morning princess!” is not only used a nice thing to say to your girlfriend in the morning. This sentence is one of the characteristics of this film that has fascinated thousands of viewers over the years. “Life is beautiful” tells the fierce but beautiful story of the Orefice family, who are faced with the horrors of the Second World War and Nazi terror. Guido, Dora and their child Giosué, of Jewish origin, are forcibly taken to a concentration camp, where Guido, with his imagination, tries to get rid of his son’s fear by giving him hope that the family will soon be together again and everything in the camp is just a game. This historical story about love and survival during the war lets everyone watch heartbreaking.
A Room with a View (James Ivory, 1985)
Lucy and her niece and companion Charlotte, members of a family of high English grade, travel through Florence when they meet mister Emerson and his son George. The men stay in the same place as the women and kindly give them their room so the ladies can enjoy the beautiful view of the city from the windows. During this vacation, Lucy falls in love with George, but her niece does nothing but try to sabotage the relationship. But eventually, the ladies return to their native country England where Lucy’s life turns around…
After reading which historical movies have been filmed in Tuscany, the choice to visit this place is much easier right? Romantic moments, delicious food and breathtaking natural landscapes make you fall in love with this region. Experience this Italian beauty and return with a suitcase full of memories of one of the most beautiful places in Europe. Live a movie holiday in Tuscany yourself!