TERRE DI CINEMA is located in Forza D’Agrò and Savoca, in Sicily, two beautiful medieval hilltop towns between the Peloritani Mountains and the Mount Etna, a few miles north of Taormina, one of Italy’s most popular turistic location, whose unique appeal and timeless beauty have been consacrated in the pages of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe‘s Italian Journey.

More recently, in Savoca and Forza d’Agrò Francis Ford Coppola shot some of the most unforgettable scenes of The Godfather Trilogy and as you look around and admire the landscapes, you will recognize the precise locations from such movies, including the Bar Vitelli, with its memorabilia and signed photos of the stars on the walls, or the ancient Church of Santissima Annunziata, where the Sicilian wedding of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) was staged.

Other great directors such as Joseph Losey, Jean Negulescu, Michelangelo Antonioni and Giuseppe Tornatore have chosen to shoot in here, attracted by the unparalled splendour of its landscape overlooking the Mediterranean sea and the immense historical and artistic heritage disseminated everywhere, from the Roman and Arab-Norman ages, with its castles and fortresses till the late Baroque churches and monasteries.

The main activities of TERRE DI CINEMA – screening, masterclasses, workshops – takes exactly place in the monumental Monastery of St. Augustine (XVI century) of Forza d’Agrò, which has been perfectly restored in 2001 and provided with functional facilities and services in order to host public events. The practical workshops and special events takes place in the surrounding areas, mainly in the town of Savoca, home to 17 churches of great artistic and historical value, the ruins of a fortified medieval castle and the extraordinary Capuchins Crypt (XVI century), that contains 32 mummies of dignitaries, religious officials, judges and poets of the past.

In such a spectacular framework, attending TERRE DI CINEMA is like stepping back in time and experiencing the authentic Sicilian culture and cuisine in a quaint, charming and pleasant atmosphere, with loads of cafes, bars, restaurants that all have a friendly, home-spun feel.

The area is well connected to the Catania International Airport, southern Italy’s main hub, by the motorway Messina-Catania: exit Taormina. It is a 1 hour drive circa.  Public transports daily connects Taormina to Forza d’Agrò and Savoca.

From Taormina it is little more than 10 km drive and the journey itself is a visually striking experience: as one drives along the winding roads and ascens higher, among cultivated “terraces” of olive, almonds and figs, a breathtaking view over the Calabria Coast and the deep blue Mediterranean sea gets magically disclosed over the top of Cape S.Alessio Castle.