The real Montezara town in Italy: Where was La Dolce Villa filmed?
Posted by Ra Moon
Set in the fictional Italian town of Montezara, La Dolce Villa was filmed on location in the gorgeous regions of Tuscany and Lazio.
The movie stars Scott Foley as Eric Field, a businessman who travels to Italy to prevent his daughter, Olivia (Maia Reficco), from investing her savings in renovating a dilapidated house she purchased for one euro.
Welcome to Montezara and our spoiler-free guide to all the filming locations of La Dolce Villa. You'll find the locations in order of appearance.
The movie stars Scott Foley as Eric Field, a businessman who travels to Italy to prevent his daughter, Olivia (Maia Reficco), from investing her savings in renovating a dilapidated house she purchased for one euro.
Welcome to Montezara and our spoiler-free guide to all the filming locations of La Dolce Villa. You'll find the locations in order of appearance.
The La Dolce Villa locations
But let's start at the beginning. The movie opens with a train station scene filmed at the Roma Trastevere railway station station.
Where is Montezara in Italy?
The town of Montezara is actually a blend of several locations.
The San Giovanni d'Asso train station, located in this small village in the province of Siena, served as the town's cute railway station.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
San Quirico d'Orcia, a charming medieval town also in the province of Siena, is the main filming location for Montezara.
Situated in the heart of the Val d'Orcia, the village is a highlight of the road trip through the region's scenic towns and Tuscany's most iconic, postcard-worthy rolling hills and cypress-lined paths.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
The fountain in the center of the square where the three Antonias practice Il dolce far niente doesn't exist, as it was a prop built by the film crew.
The 'Municipio' (town hall) sign was digitally added to the facade of a house located next to the Madonna Church.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
Montezara's bar, Da Cesare, is actually called Bar Centrale, but there is no herb shop or optical store in the real San Quirico d'Orcia square.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
The crumbling house number one, from which a piece of the roof falls, is a historic farmhouse called Casale del Sellaretto, located in the famous Parco degli Acquedotti just outside Rome.
The house was a station for the old Roma-Frascati railroad, built in the mid-19th century.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
La Dolce Villa house
The house that Francesca offers to Olivia is actually Il Torrino dei Gelsi, a magnificent farmhouse located between Tivoli and Palestrina, in San Gregorio da Sassola, just half an hour away from Rome.
Nestled among mulberry trees, olive groves, and rolling green hills, guests can choose to stay in one of the three delightful rustic apartments or book the entire property to host special events such as weddings.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
However, the villa's interior was filmed on a set built at the famous Cinecittà Studios in Rome.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
The beginning of the bicycle crash scene was filmed with the spectacular village of Pienza as a backdrop.
With its glorious Renaissance-era monuments and layout, Pienza is a must-see stop when visiting Val d'Orcia.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
In terms of cinematic locations, the area around Pienza is also well known for the farmhouse featured in Gladiator.
The scene pictured was filmed very close to the spot where many fans travel to take a photo of the field near Maximus' farm, filmed just outside Pienza.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
The Trattoria Rosada was filmed at a local restaurant in San Quirico d'Orcia, near the square, called Taverna Da Ciacco.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
Francesca and Eric cycle to have an overpriced coffee with a view at Castello della Castelluccia, just outside Rome, in the town of Campagnano di Roma.
The castle, featuring a tall medieval tower, was built on the remains of a Roman villa.
The hotel offers elegant rooms and suites, and as seen in the movie, is a perfect setting for all kinds of events.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
The scene with Olivia and Giovanni at the panoramic point was filmed at one of the viewpoints overlooking the beautiful Tuscan countryside in Pienza.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
The beach looks like Feniglia Beach, located in the municipality of Orbetello, connecting the Ansedonia hill to Monte Argentario in southern Tuscany.
This long strip of golden sand (about 3.7 miles or 6 kilometers) is largely undeveloped, with a protected area rich in flora and fauna right behind it.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
Horti Leonini is a beautiful Renaissance garden in San Quirico d'Orcia, which appears in the scene pictured and also in the aerial establishing shot at the beginning of the film.
Created in the 16th century, it is said that Michelangelo Buonarroti may have designed this fine example of Italian garden, blending geometric precision with natural beauty.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
The interior of the town hall and the archives were filmed at the P. Calamandrei Library in Montepulciano, another charming town in Val d’Orcia. Grappa?
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
The €1 house initiative in Italy is a real project that started around 2008-2009 to combat depopulation and revitalize rural communities.
Buyers must commit to restoring these homes, often old historic buildings, within a set time frame, and the costs of renovation can be quite high.
However, this offer typically does not apply in popular and highly sought-after regions like Tuscany, but rather in the more remote areas of southern regions like Sicily, Calabria, or Puglia.
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9 comments:
1- Anonymous - Feb 16, 2025, 7:02 AM
Excellent… thanks!
2- Mehmet Nehir - Feb 16, 2025, 12:39 PM
Thanks for the nice explanation.
3- Mauro - Roma - Feb 17, 2025, 2:16 PM
Bel lavoro. The sites are really neat, as described — great job by the director and the producers. The movie was worth its time: nice and soft, good and relaxed.
4- Anonymous - Feb 20, 2025, 11:56 AM
Very well described, the film.
5- Sarah - Feb 22, 2025, 8:02 AM
Merci pour cet article.
6- Danny - Feb 23, 2025, 9:52 AM
Thank you for the way you explained everything. I’m thinking about visiting the area… All the best!
7- Anonymous - Feb 25, 2025, 11:49 AM
Thank you!
8- Anonymous - Mar 1, 2025, 2:58 AM
Thank you for such detailed information on the locations of this film. Much appreciated.
9- Anonymous - Mar 2, 2025, 11:16 PM
Soo happy you made this article. We are in Tuscany just now and planning to visit most of the highlighted spots from this charming movie, including the beach and all the places in Tuscany. Thank you!
1- Anonymous - Feb 16, 2025, 7:02 AM
Excellent… thanks!
2- Mehmet Nehir - Feb 16, 2025, 12:39 PM
Thanks for the nice explanation.
3- Mauro - Roma - Feb 17, 2025, 2:16 PM
Bel lavoro. The sites are really neat, as described — great job by the director and the producers. The movie was worth its time: nice and soft, good and relaxed.
4- Anonymous - Feb 20, 2025, 11:56 AM
Very well described, the film.
5- Sarah - Feb 22, 2025, 8:02 AM
Merci pour cet article.
6- Danny - Feb 23, 2025, 9:52 AM
Thank you for the way you explained everything. I’m thinking about visiting the area… All the best!
7- Anonymous - Feb 25, 2025, 11:49 AM
Thank you!
8- Anonymous - Mar 1, 2025, 2:58 AM
Thank you for such detailed information on the locations of this film. Much appreciated.
9- Anonymous - Mar 2, 2025, 11:16 PM
Soo happy you made this article. We are in Tuscany just now and planning to visit most of the highlighted spots from this charming movie, including the beach and all the places in Tuscany. Thank you!
Ra Moon
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