"EFFIE" HAS RECENTLY BEEN SHOT IN VENICE

Hotel Danieli has once again proven to be an ideal film location for the shooting of Effie, a film about the life of Victorian critic John Ruskin. Directed by Richard Laxton, the film is based on the story written by British actress Emma Thompson, who plays Lady Eastlake, a noblewoman who looks after the teenage bride Effie when her marriage to Ruskin is in crisis. Among the actors are Greg Wise, who plays Ruskin, and Dakota Fanning, in the role Effie. The Italian actors who appear in this costume drama are Claudia Cardinale and Riccardo Scamarcio. Apart from the Hotel Danieli, other locations around the city that are part of the set are: Café Florian, San Giacomo all’Orio, St. Mark’s Square, the Doge’s Palace and various other utterly fascinating corners of the lagoon city. 

PANE E TULIPANI

The itinerary leads to the discovery of some lesser-known, unusual, and secretive locations in Venice. The film “Pane e Tulipani”(1999), is the story of Rosalba, a forty-year old housewife, from Pescara who is holidaying “en group” with her husband and children when she gets left behind at a motorway service station, and decides to hitchhike to Venice. Begin your tour following the footsteps of Rosalba as she walks leisurely through the wonders of Venice until she reaches St. Mark’s Square, an obligatory stop, where you can take photos just like the film’s heroine. At the end of the day Rosalba goes to “Santa Lucia” train station to return home, but misses the train and is forced to stay another night in the lagoon city. In the evening she dines at the Marco Polo Restaurant where she meets Fernando, the waiter with whom she immediately falls in love. The next day she gets a job at a flower shop in “Campo dei Miracoli” in the Cannaregio district. Rosalba’s husband eventually begins to miss his wife’s presence when he finds his shirts un-ironed. He hires a detective, who is really a plumber, to search for her in Venice. Rosalba is tracked down and the meeting between the two takes place in “Campiello due Pozzi”. When Rosalba realizes that detective was sent by her husband, she flees and a chase pursues through squares, streets and over bridges that leads us to a woman’s lodging in “Campazzo San Sebastiano” in the district of Santa Croce. Venice is the undisputed star of this film where “love triumphs over all”.

VIAGGI DI NOZZE

The locations used in the movie “Viaggi di nozze” (1995) directed by Carlo Verdone, are famous. The film is composed of mini-episodes including one that narrates the story of Raniero and Tosca, on their honeymoon. Raniero, a well known doctor devoted to working 24 hours a day; never turns off his phone. Tosca, a frail young woman, has married her husband purely out of gratitude. Memorable scenes are shot in Venice, including the gondola ride taken by Raniero and Tosca where, when first referring to lagoon city, Raniero says: "Venezia è sempre Venezia. Cento volte la vedi, cento volte te ne innamori. Che città struggente!"(“Venice is always Venice. Even if you visit it a hundred times; you fall in love each time. What a distressing city!”). At the end of the gondola ride the newlyweds disembark at the heritage Riva degli Schiavoni, in front of the Hotel Danieli where they are to spend the first night of their marriage. In the film, the room that Raniero refers to is number 276, but in reality the scenes were shot in suite 68. Exasperated by her oppressive husband, the following morning Tosca throws herself from the balcony of the Hotel Danieli.

EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU

The film “Everyone says I love you” (1996) which recounts the romantic antics of a family, is set in Venice, Paris and New York. The story is narrated by an adolescent Djuna, whose parents are divorced, and whose father Joe is unable to rebuild his life, whilst her mother Steffi has remarried to Bob, father of four children: three girls and a boy. Venice becomes the protagonist when Djuna travels there with her father for the August summer holidays. You too can stay at The Gritti Palace in the Hemingway Suite 116, just like Woody Allen and Natasha Lyonne and order a Bellini cocktail at the Bar Longhi, just as Djuna does on her holiday with her father. In Venice Joe falls in love with a fascinating young woman named Von, played by Julia Roberts, an art historian with a passion for Tintoretto. And so begins Woody Allen’s courtship of Von, who pursues her through the streets and over the bridges of Venice, a pursuit that will take you to “Ponte Duodo o Barbarigo”, “Campo Santo Stefano”, “Santa Maria del Giglio”, and “Zattere”. Joe and Voe first run into each other in “Ponte San Cristoforo” when Joe asks Von where The Gritti Palace is, as he is lost in Venice’s maze of streets. Julia Roberts and Woody Allen bump into each other again at the “Scuola Grande di San Rocco”, where they discuss the finer points of Tintoretto. Other locations in the film of Venice are where Allen and Roberts sit down just past the Rialto fish market on the Grand Canal, and when they are at the Rialto Market. Finally, the last place where Joe meets Von is at the Palazzo Barbaro in Venice. A story, that began in Venice, is destined to be short-lived …

THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY

There are many beautiful Italian locations which act as backdrops to the film “The Talented Mr. Ripley” (1999). The story is set in the 50’s in America and Italy. The lead character is Tom Ripley, a young boy of humble extraction who works at the Lyceum Theatre in New York. One day, at a party he is approached by a wealthy industrial that promises him a large monetary reward in exchange for bringing back his son Dickie, who is in Europe, to America. So starts young Tom’s journey around Italy and there are many stops along the way. The first stop is “Mongibello”, though the scenes were actually filmed in Ischia, Procida and Naples. Once there, Tom is fascinated by the life Dickie leads with his girlfriend Margie. The protagonist of the film thus becomes a close friend of the industrialist’s son and the two head off to Rome, and then to Sanremo, however the scenes were actually filmed at Anzio. After murdering his friend Dickie, Tom Ripley returns to Rome where he stays at the St. Regis Grand Hotel. He then travels to Venice where he meets his friend Peter and the two go to the pigeon – filled “Piazza San Marco”. The scenes of Tom’s apartment were filmed between “Ca’Sagredo” and the “Pallazzo Mosto” in Venice. Dickie’s father comes to investigate his son’s disappearance and Margie is increasingly worried about the lack of news from her boyfriend whom she was soon to marry. Scenes from “Santa Lucia” train station are shown before the three go to Cafè Florian in “Piazza San Marco” to discuss Dickie and his mysterious disappearance. The scene in which Tom meets Dickie’s father in the hotel were shot in suite 453 at The Westin Europa & Regina, Venice, a Deluxe Terrace Suite in grand Venetian style with spectacular views over the Basilica of “Santa Maria della Salute” and Punta della Dogana. The scenes, however, where Peter performs “Stabat Mater” were filmed in the church of the Martorana in Piazza Bellini in Palermo. A film with a final unexpected twist …

THE TOURIST

The movie “The Tourist” (2010) tells the story of Elise Clifton-Ward (Angelina Jolie), an undercover Interpol agent who is under surveillence by inspector Acherson of Scotland Yard, as her ex-lover Alexander Pearce is wanted by the government for debt. Elise receives a letter in Paris from Pearce advising her to go to Venice to meet him, with the recommendation that, once on the train, she must approach someone who looks like him to mislead the police. You may also start your itinerary from “Santa Lucia” railway station just like the two leading characters in the film, and take a water taxi to the Hotel Danieli (the scenes of the exterior and the Doge’s suite were actually shot at “Palazzo Pisani Moretta”, while the lobby scenes were filmed at the Hotel Danieli). In the evening the two protagonists – Elise and Frank Tupelo - dine at a Restaurant that is actually the terrace of the “Palazzo Vernier dei Leoni”. Frank Tupelo, played by Johnny Depp, spends the night in his hotel room, after which the debt collecting Russian gangsters come knocking at his door. He fearfully jumps out of the window and begins his escape over the Venetian rooftops and at the end, reaches Rialto Market, where he throws himself onto a tarpaulin, fleeing from his pursuers. After the incident Frank walks into the Police Station (“Biblioteca Marciana”) to report the attempted murder. Our hero gets locked up, after which the corrupt commissioner turns him over to Russian gangsters which are also chasing Pearce, but with Elise’s help, he manages to escape. The scenes of the chase that ensues were filmed at: “S. Francesco della Vigna”, “rio della Madonna dell’Orto”, “rio de la Sensa”, “rio di S. Giustina”. Meanwhile, the Russian gangsters join their boss at the casino (“Palazzo Franchetti – Istituto Veneto di Scienze Lettere e Arti”) to inform him of the failed capture attempt. The location of Interpol’s base where Elise goes because she has decided to turn Pearce in, is in “Rio dell’Arsenale” and “Thetis Bacini Arsenale”. Subsequently, Elise attends a party where she is to meet her former lover: the exterior scenes were filmed at “Fondaco dei Turchi – Museo Storia Naturale”, while the interiors were shot at the “Scuola Grande della Misericordia”. There, she receives another message from Pearce to go “Fondamenta San Giacomo 23”, which is actually the Giudecca Island’s vaporetto stop Zitelle. Arriving on the island, she is seized by Shou, the Russian gangster boss, who wants her to open the safe where Pearce has deposited his money. The final scenes were filmed at Villa F on Giudecca, whilst the speedboat scenes were shot in the following locations: between the lagoon islands of Certosa and S. Andrea, the Scomenzera Canal, Zattere, the Giudecca Canal, St. Mark’s Basin and the Grand Canal.

SUMMERTIME

The unforgettably beautiful scenes of the movie “Summertime” (1955) made Venice famous in the mid-‘50s on the silver screen. The film tells the story of an American tourist, Miss Hudson, (Katharine Hepburn) who decides to visit Venice at last once in her life.
The film opens with the protagonist on a train on her way to Venice, who captures the lagoon on her movie camera as the train crosses the Liberty Bridge. And so we see Saint Lucia railway station, which had just been built. From the train station, Miss Hudson takes a vaporetto to the “Pensione Fiorini”, which in reality does not exist - in fact the front door of the guesthouse is in Rio Bareteri in the San Marco district, in the heart of Merceria. The balcony of Miss Hudson’s room is on Rio de la Salute in the Dorsoduro district, and overlooks the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. The terrace overlooking the Grand Canal where guests of the “Pensione Fiorini” get together is actually a set built in Campo San Vio, also in the Dorsoduro district.
Miss Hudson becomes acquainted with some of the guests in the “Pensione Fiorini” but all too soon they go off on a sightseeing tour and this heightens Miss Hudson’s sense of solitude.  She decides to explore the wonders of Venice, and so begins her acquaintance with a local urchin boy called Mauro (on Ponte     San Cristoforo), who makes a living selling postcards, fountain pens and organizing gondola rides. Following the sound of the bells to Piazza San Marco, Miss Hudson decides to sit at the Grand Caffè Chioggia where she notices that a man is watching her. She is embarrassed and initially hides behind her dark sunglasses, and leaves shortly after.
The incident creates even more sadness and loneliness within her and she sits alone by the canal in Campo San Moisè. A must do for Miss Hudson is visiting the Palazzo Ducale with Mauro who has become her personal Venetian tourist guide.
Strolling around the lagoon city she is captivated by a Murano glass goblet that is on sale in an antique store in Campo San Barnaba. So she enters and discovers that the shop owner is the man who had been staring at her in Piazza San Marco, Renato De Rossi.
The next day Miss Hudson decides to go back to her admirer’s shop, but becomes lost in Piscina Sant’Agnese in the Dorsoduro district, and Mauro helps her to find her way back to Campo San Barnaba.
Mr. De Rossi is not at the shop when she arrives, and so she begins filming his shop with her movie camera but falls backwards into the Rezzonico Canal. Miss Hudson returns to the Pensione to change her clothes, and subsequently receives a visit from De Rossi who has been worrying about her. The famous dialogue between the two ensues when he tells her: “You are like a hungry child who is given ravioli to eat. No, you say. I want beefsteak. My dear girl, you’re hungry. Eat the ravioli!” “I’m not that hungry”, she replies. The dialogue marks Miss Hudson’s self abandonment to her feelings. Their romance begins and they spend their days together, firstly in Piazza San Marco and then in Burano, the island which infringes the rainbow because it reflects all the colours of the spectrum.
In the film, the Mr. De Rossi’s flat is located in Rio de San Felice, at the foot of the Chiodo Bridge in the district of Cannaregio.

VENEZIA, TU E LA LUNA

Follow the footsteps of the movie “Venezia, tu e la luna” (1958) which was shot entirely in Venice. The film tells the story of Bepi, a gondolier by profession, who wants to marry Nina, but must first give up his flirts with his many female admirers … The film opens with a series of shots of “Piazza San Marco”, “Palazzo Ducale”, and the church of “Santa Maria della Salute”, that offer an overview of Venice’s beauty. In the first part of the film, Bepi returns all his suitors’ gifts, and so meets Lucia near “Lista di Spagna”, then Dorina at the “Palazzo Pisani – Moretta”, and lastly Paulina in “Piazza San Marco”. The gondolier then heads to “Santa Lucia” Station where he picks up two young ladies, American tourists that he takes to the “Pensione Amore”. Don Fulgenzio gets in with them. While Bepi is taking the two young tourists on the gondola ride, he stops at the “Ponte di Rialto” to say hello to his promised bride-to-be, who has a gift shop, and here the hundredth argument ensues between them. Nina decides to terminate her relationship with Bepi and calls Toni, who is one of her suitors: the man is seen standing with his speed-boat on the “Calle Vallaresso” in front of the “Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute”. Meanwhile Don Fulgenzio asks to be dropped off at the “Campo dell’Abbazia”, in the district of Cannaregio, where there is an ongoing game of football between children. Finally Bepi manages to accompany the two tourists to the “Pensione Amore”. The pensione, however,
does not really exist: the scenes were shot near the “Chiesa di San Geremia”, in the district of Cannaregio. As for the interior scenes, they were actually filmed at the Hotel Cipriani. Bepi is called upon once again to take the two American girls around to discover Venice. Among the many locations they visit is the palace of Casanuova, which is actually, the “Ca’Doro”. After several scenes the two American girls, Natalie and Janet, seem to want to go home, but in reality, they remain in Venice as both have fallen in love with Bepi and plan to meet him again. Natalie goes to meet him in the “Campo San Giovanni e Paolo”, but he ignores her because he is with Nina. The young American girl runs towards him and falls into a canal near the hospital. This triggers off yet another row between Nina and Bepi and the woman goes back to Toni, whose house is located in “Campiello Barbaro”. Bepi also meets Janet at the gardens of “Sant’Elena” where she has been to the American Embassy (which in reality is a monumental arch in the gardens) to publish the announcement for her wedding with the gondolier. Through shams and some trickery, Bepi manages to persuade the two American girls to leave Venice. Bepi finally heads off to the church of “San Giorgio” on the island of the same name, to put a stop to the marriage between Toni and Nina …