Savoca



Savoca is a serene hillside 12th century village at the end of a windy steep road approximately 40 minutes from Taormina.

This tranquil spot was used as the setting for the courtship and wedding between Michael Corleone played by Al Pacino and his first wife Apollonia played by Simonetta Stefanelli, an actress who actually came from Savoca in The Godfather Part I.

Francis Ford Coppola chose Savoca in 1971 to stand in for the town of Corleone (which is in located in Western Sicily) he thought that Corleone was not photogenic enough for the movie.

As you enter Savoca in the main Piazza you will find Bar Vitelli where Michael Corleone discusses his marriage in The Godfather Part I with Apollonia's father. It is a pretty 18th century building with a vine covered terrace looking out across a valley towards the Ionian Sea and is still occupied by the original family who owned it when the movie was filmed.

The Palazzo Trimarchi building that houses Bar Vitelli is classified by the Superintendence of Fine Arts by regional decree as a monumental asset and stands on the remains of an ancient noble palace of the 1400's and today after long years of restoration work it resumes its origin as a ancient residence keeping intact the Sicilian style and its historicity. In addition to the renowned terrace in front of the entrance to the bar, the building also has a cellar and two terraces over looking a green valley dominated by Mount Etna. 

It is rumoured that Coppola consumed up to 20 lemon granites a day here, I have to admit the lemon granites  are pretty amazing. Inside there is a small display of photos, press cuttings and mementos from the filming. For photo opportunities there is a fake rifle and a chair positioned exactly where Al Pacino sat. Our dog Daisy always loves an afternoon walk around Savoca followed by socialising with visitors in Bar Vitelli.

Coppola paid for the village to be paved with beautiful cobbled stones as a thank you  for letting him film there.

Take time to amble around the village. From the main Piazza follow the cobbled road that circles the centre of Savoca. Take the first left and there you will be tracing the steps of The Godfather up towards Porta della Citta, this was the medieval gate which was used to lock up the city at nightfall. You will recognise this archway from the movie when the wedding procession descends down the path from the church. Further along you will see the actual church where the wedding ceremony took place.

Savoca has a few small churches that are well worth a visit and there is also Castello di Pentefur, a ruined Norman castle which stands high above the village.

If you are energetic enough follow the whole road around and it will eventually bring you back to the piazza. You will pass ancient houses covered with wildflowers. Most of the houses have now been restored with a lot of love. Many of the residents that live here commute to Taormina. As you walk you will see Mount Etna peeking out behind the mountains and the odd lazy cat sleeping in the Sicilian sun.

During the day you will find Savoca fairly empty apart from the occasional tour group.

Savoca is also known as the City of Art and you will see various examples whilst walking around, in the piazza you will see a local artist’s tribute to Frances Ford Coppola.

There is one other attraction in Savoca after your walk and Lemon Granite that will detain you in Savoca.

 Follow the signs for The Cappuccini Monastery whose crypt features an impressive collection of ancient mummies dating from the 18th century, some intact some not. The remains are of local dignitaries such as doctors, lawyers and priests. There is usually a custodian there, who for a small donation, will let you visit. Most of the mummies are standing in niches around the wall, in glass cases or coffins still wearing their appropriate attire for their profession.

I once had a wonderful conversation with one of the custodian’s whilst waiting outside the crypt with Daisy, she was absolutely fascinated that an English rescue dog was living in Sicily and travels between London and Sicily by car.

You can order delicious Sicilian dishes at Bar Vitelli but if you want to stop for a longer lazy lunch we would recommend Ristorante La Pineta di Nino, a friendly family run restaurant serving home cooked Sicilian food. I will let you in on a little secret, the owner was one of Michael Corleone’s and Apollonia’s bridesmaids in the movie.

Recently Bar Vitelli has increased their hospitality by transforming the building into a boutique bed and breakfast. Each room has been been designed to offer a magical stay and dream experience. It is also possible to organise any type of event for weddings or special occasions. 

Savoca has a wonderful relaxing atmosphere and  is easy to reach from Taormina, take the coastal road North to the small resort of Santa Teresa di Riva and follow the signs for “Savoca …. Citta di Arte”. The drive is stunning with the sparkling Ionian Sea to your right and mainland Italy in the distance.


After visiting Savoca you must stop at the nearby town of Forza d’Agro which was also used as a filming location for The Godfather Trilogy.

Please feel free to contact me for my recommendations for Godfather Tours, one of these tours is the perfect addition to your Sicilian adventure.

If you enjoyed these posts then you might enjoy these ones too ↓

Forza d'Agro
https://whitealmond-privatesicily.blogspot.com/2015/09/forza-dagro.html

The Godfather … Movie Locations 
https://whitealmond-privatesicily.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-godfather-movie-locations.html

Photo Gallery






















Thank you for following me at
White Almond Sicily Blogspot

As featured in
"My Lemon Grove Summer"
by Jo Thomas

For NEW Blog updates and all things Sicilian

I am also a contributor to
www.timesofsicily.com

for Travel Tips, Trip Advice and Recommendations

Love Sarah x
🎥🎥🎥

Popular posts from this blog

25 Sicilian Myths and Legends

Image
Sicily is a place full of myths and legends and there are many stories associated with the island. From the stories of nymphs and gods from Greek and Roman mythology to tragic love stories from an exotic era when the island was under Arabic, Norman and Spanish rule. Some stories have happy endings and some not so happy endings.  What is a legend? Legends are stories which are thought to be based on true events but have developed fictional elements that have deep significance to the culture from which they originate. For example historians claim that King Arthur really existed but his existence is shrouded in different legends, such as is his final resting place on Mount Etna?  What is a myth? Myths are stories derived from cultural traditions or legends most of which have a deep symbolic meaning and usually involve a lesson that will be helpful to the listener or reader. Mythical characters are often non-human in some form or related to a god or supernatural being, often set i...
Read more

'Salsiccia' ... the Great Sicilian Sausage

Image
As you travel around Sicily whether it is via the stunning coastline or its interior mountain regions you will notice top quality fresh ingredients and dishes made from delicious recipes. I love food, especially Mediterranean food, which makes Sicily the perfect place for me to live, Sicily is a foodie’s paradise. One of my favourite things to eat and something I am addicted to is salsiccia , Sicilian sausage.  If I had my way I would eat it every day and would probably end up looking like one. When my “adopted” Sicilian big brother came to stay with us in London I worried about what I was going to cook a Sicilian every day, especially one that is a fantastic cook. One evening I decided on an English style sausage casserole. After serving the sausages on his plate he started to scrape the entire dish back into my casserole pot.  “These are not sausages they are disgusting”.  I agree with him in some way, but you cannot compare English sausages with ...
Read more

The Lions of Sicily

Image
The Florio Family were a prominent entrepreneurial Italian family who started many lucrative activities in Sicily involving the export of Sicilian products, such as Marsala wine, in the nineteenth century. The family extended their interests to shipping, shipbuilding and fisheries, mainly tuna production and preservation. The historical story of the family, of Calabrian origins from Bagnara Calabra, took place in Palermo between the 19th and 20th century. After a disastrous earthquake destroyed their family home in 1783, Paolo Florio born in 1772 and father to Vincenzo Florio, decided to move to Palermo to start a new life with his wife and young son. He opened in Palermo on Via Materassai a shop selling herbs and spices, colonial products and quinine, which was used to treat malaria. The shop quickly became one of the most prosperous businesses in the city attracting jealousy from fellow business owners who were of true Sicilian descendants and opposed to this new family from Calabria...
Read more