The Godfather is one of the most important trilogies in the history of cinema. Film director Francis Ford Coppola masterfully brought Mario Puzo’s novel to the big screen, with Al Pacino and Marlon Brando as the saga’s two iconic actors who brought Vito and Michael Corleone to life.
We travel to Sicily in the footsteps of these films, visiting the island through some of its locations in a deluxe literary and film route that takes us into the history and traditions of this island, colonized by the Greeks, the Romans and the Normans; a territory that was part of the Crown of Aragon, occupied by the Nazis during World War II and cradle of the “Cosa Nostra” or Italian Mafia.
We begin our journey at the end of the story, on the steps of Palermo’s Teatro Massimo, with Michael Corleone’s (Al Pacino) heartbroken cry of mourning when he discovers that his daughter Mary (played by Sofia Coppola) has been murdered. Palermo’s Teatro Massimo, inaugurated in 1897, was the largest opera house in Italy and the third largest in Europe, behind the Paris Opera and the Vienna Opera. From its terrace you can enjoy breathtaking 360-degree views of the city.
Located in the north of the island, on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea, Palermo is the capital of Sicily and a city that has preserved the testimony of the culture of all its conquerors: Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Spaniards or Austrians, all of them left their mark on the city. To discover it is to walk through its churches, its sumptuous palaces, its cobbled streets, its markets and taste its traditional “Pasta con le sarde” (pasta with sardines), the “Arancini” (croquettes stuffed with rice) or the dessert par excellence, the “Cannoli”, crispy fried puff pastry cones filled with ricotta.
We can explore Palermo and its surroundings by staying at the exclusive Villa Igiea hotel. This villa was bought in 1899 by the influential Florio dynasty, then one of the most important families in Sicily, who decided to create a luxury hotel that, during the first decade of the twentieth century, hosted magnates, artists, artists and artists’ associations. During the first decade of the 20th century, it hosted magnates, artists and even members of European royalty of the time such as King Edward VII of England, Queen Alexandra, Princess Victoria and Tsarina Maria Feodorovna who disembarked in 1907 on the iconic Victoria & Albert ship to have lunch at Villa Igiea and explore Palermo’s many attractions.
“Every man has his own destiny” Vito Corleone
Throughout the world wars, Villa Igiea was requisitioned and used as a hospital. However, once peace was restored, Villa Igiea once again became a sanctuary of luxury and glamour from the 1950s until today, where this hotel was completely renovated in 2019 and reopened its doors in 2021.
About 57 kilometers from Palermo, we discovered the town of Corleone, where Vito Corleone was born. Although Coppola was not able to shoot any images in that town due to authorization issues, it is worth visiting this town that has a total of 101 churches, each with unique styles that denote the presence of Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans throughout its history. Near Corleone, in the town of Salemi, a visit to the Mafia Museum is a must to put into context all the imaginary that Puzo captured in his novel.
We continue our journey to the southeast coast of the island, on the Ionian Sea. There, at the Taormina train station, Coppola filmed the meeting between Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) and his ex-wife Kay (played by Diane Keaton), although the name of the station was changed to Bagheria in the film.
For the past two centuries, artists, actors and trendsetters have been drawn to enchanting Taormina. No wonder: with its rustic charm, magical views and the magnetic forces of Etna permeating the air, this is one of the most enchanting places on earth. There, from the Grand Hotel Timeo, we can discover some of the most interesting places in that part of Sicily. Next to the hotel, we discover the imposing Greek theater that offers unique and wonderful sunsets. We can tour the surrounding hills aboard a vintage Fiat 500 and visit towns that appear in the movie “The Godfather” as Savoca, with the Church of Santa Luzia, the scene of the wedding between Michael Corleone and Apolloni Vitelli or its famous Bar Vitelli, the place where the wedding party is held. In nearby Forza D’Agrò, the Church of the Holy Trinity appears when Michael visits Corleone for the first time and also in that town is the family home where Don Vito was born (remember that Coppola could not film all this in the town of Corleone itself so it was necessary to look for other locations).
From Taormina we can discover the island through exclusive experiences such as flying over Etna by helicopter, taking an Italian cooking class, sailing to the Aeolian Islands, discovering the best wines and vineyards of the area through a private tasting or pampering at the Spa.
A few kilometers from Taormina, we end our route at the photogenic Castello degli Schiavi, near the town of Fiumefreddo, a 17th century architectural treasure and former residence of Coppola’s Corleone family and the place where Don Vito dies.
Madrid – Barcelona – Colombia
