Tuscany is one of the favorite Italian destinations for filmmakersMany artists have been inspired by its thousand facets, all breathtaking, to set their cinematic masterpieces.
An Oscar-worthy open-air set!
Romeo e Giulietta (1968)
The adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy, produced by director Franco Zeffirelli, won two Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design. The film was shot inside Palazzo Piccolomini in Pienza, the jewel of the Val D’Orcia.
Room with a view (1986)
The adaptation of the E. M. Forster novel, directed by James Ivory, is set in Florence. In particular, the protagonists are the Lungarni that can be seen from the famous “room with a view”. The movie won 3 Oscars: Best Costumes, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, and Best Costume Design.
The English Patient (1996)
In 1997 the movie directed by Anthony Minghellait won 9 Oscars, 2 Golden Globes and 6 BAFTAs. It was shot in various Tuscan locations, including Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi, Massarosa and Ripafratta.
Thanks to its multiple wins, it is one of the most awarded films in the history of the Academy.
La vita è bella (1997)
Best Foreign Language Film , Best Actor (Roberto Benigni) and Best Soundtrack (Nicola Piovani) are the 3 Academy Awards that this movie won in 1999. “Life is beautiful” tells about the Holocaust from the perspective of the genius Roberto Benigni who directs and acts as the protagonist in this timeless masterpiece. Most of the scenes are shot in the province of Arezzo, from the Piazza Grande of the capital to Castiglion Fiorentino, then at the Signorelli Theater in Cortona and also at the Villa Masini in Montevarchi.
Gladiator (2000)
This Colossal movie won 5 Academy Awards in 2001: Best Picture, Best Actor to Russell Crowe, Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects and Best Sound. Directed by Ridley Scott, who chose this beautiful region for two of the most emblematic scenes. In particular, we find the rolling Tuscan hills between San Quirico d’Orcia and Pienza, an open-air set that inspired the divine representation of the Elysian fields.
