A small dose of Milanese cinema
Italy's great filmmakers have all - or almost all - stopped off in Milan to set up their cameras. Such is the case with Miracle in Milan, by director Vittorio De Sica. Three years after his masterpiece The Bicycle Thief, De Sica presents a fable of poverty and wealth, with all the poetry that is the neo-realist's trademark. The final scene, shot on January 5, 1951 in the Piazza del Duomo with hundreds of amateur actors and extras, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in Italian cinema. It was the grand finale of a film that earned De Sica the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival that same year.
Less than a decade later, it was Luchino Visconti's turn to pass through Milan to shoot Rocco and His Brothers (1960), starring Alain Delon, Annie Girardot and Claudia Cardinale. A rereading of the city from the point of view of World War II survivors, forcibly immigrated to a city that doesn't want them. Among the most recognizable landmarks are Milan's Central Station, the Duomo on top of which Rocco and Nadia meet, as well as piazzale Lugano and Idroscalo Park. The two lovers will also spend two days resting in the village of Bellagio, on the shores of Lake Como. Stroll past the fabulous Hotel Gran Bretagne, now under renovation, to relive the idyllic atmosphere of this escape.
Back in Milan, it was Michelangelo Antonioni who followed in 1961 with La Nuit, almost entirely shot on the city's streets. The attentive eye will recognize the palaces of Piazza Quattro Novembre, or the Torre Galfa, an iconic 1970s skyscraper now threatened with demolition. Finally, take a detour to the Barlassina Country Club, a golf course whose buildings have changed little since the days of filming, when Marcello Mastroianni, Jeanne Moreau and Monica Vitti walked these lawns.
Finally, the list of great Italian filmmakers would not be complete without Pier Paolo Pasolini. In 1968, he made a stopover between Milan and Pavia for his impressive Theorem, a scathing critique of the bourgeoisie. Highly iconoclastic, the film earned him censorship in many countries. The villa featured in Theorem can be seen in via Palatino 16, although the interior scenes were shot in Rome. However, you'll easily recognize the church of San Donato Milanese, as well as the buildings in piazza Tommaseo that appear in the film on several occasions.
Each of these filmmakers subsequently returned to Milan for less memorable films, but all continued to be inspired by this modern, bustling city. The same is true of directors Dario Argento, Dino Risi or Umberto Lenzi, or more recently Matteo Garrone, who set the action of his short film Entering Red (2012) starring Ana de Armas. Luca Guadagnino also filmed Je suis l'amour (2009), in which Tilda Swinton visits Villa Necchi Campiglio. Even today, Milan remains a source of inspiration for national and international artists, and a region rich in visually striking locations.
Notable filming locations in Lombardy
Outside its capital, Lombardy can boast of having been featured in James Bond as much as in Star Wars, as well as offering magnificent locations for more subtle but equally notable films. It's around Lake Como that most of these productions have made their home. For example, the Villa del Balbianello was one of the key settings for Attack of the Clones (2002), an otherwise relatively unmemorable episode in the Star Wars saga. Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) took refuge there to celebrate their budding love, before the destiny of the future Darth Vader caught up with him. Four years later, it was Daniel Craig and Eva Green's turn to recharge their batteries in Martin Campbell's Casino Royale (2006), the actor's first opus in the James Bond saga. Proof, if proof were needed, that this villa - open to the public - is a veritable haven of peace. A few kilometers away, Villa Balbiano hosted the filming of Ridley Scott's House of Gucci (2021), in which Lady Gaga stars alongside Al Pacino and Jared Leto.
Beyond Lake Como and Lake Garda, head for the nearby province of Cremona, where director Luca Guadagnino is making his most successful film to date, Call me by your name (2017). An international co-production with Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet in the lead roles, it won the Oscar for Best Screenplay after four nominations, including Best Picture. A beautiful love story set in Italy in the 1980s, in which the filmmaker makes full use of the beauty of the Lombardy landscape. From the Caves of Catullus to Sirmione, from the beauty of the Sanctuary of the Madonna dei Prati in Moscazzano to the urban settings of Bergamo, Lodi and the town of Crema itself, you won't know which way to turn as the film is packed with iconic locations. As you stroll through the streets of Crema, stop and have a drink in front of the Torrazzo Arch, in the image of the film's protagonists.
Living the cinema in Milan
Since a great trip is never complete without a brief tour of the country's cinemas, take the time to discover the city's cinemas. Among them, the Beltrade will charm you with its retro style and original-language films, while the Space Odeon offers all the comforts of a modern multiplex, if that's your taste. As for independent cinemas, the Cinemino offers a fine selection of films. Last but not least, your cinephile visit wouldn't be complete without a visit to Cinema Mexico, otherwise known as the Rocky Horror Picture House, where this cult film has been shown every Friday since 1976! A must-see for fans of the genre, and a veritable Milan institution.
