Aloha! It’s been a while since I compiled a travel guide for one of my favorite destinations! So for today’s travel tales post, I am putting together some quick resources on a place close to my heart, and right on top of my travel wishlist!
I know we have covered Italy in the past, but this post is dedicated specifically to the autonomous Italian region of ‘Sicily‘ – the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
The inspiration for today’s destination comes from one of my all time favorite movies: ‘The Godfather’. I was watching this movie yet again over the weekend, and couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of Sicily (featuring in the first movie). The two Sicilian towns of Forza d’Agro and Savoca have a prominent appearance in the film.
Savoca
Forza d’Agro
The natural beauty and laid back charm of Sicily will seduce you into planning multiple visits so you can experience everything it has to offer! The rich Mediterranean culture and history, breathtaking landscapes, pristine beaches and delectable cuisine make for a delightful, indulgent vacation.
There are several good guides out there which you can use to plan your Sicilian vacation. These cover top attractions, food and lodging, essential tourist information and other meaningful travel tips. Check out either of these guides below for complete information on Sicily travel:
- Lonely Planet Sicily Guide
- Conde Nast Traveler Guide to Sicily
- Fodors Sicily Travel Guide
- The Thinking Travelers Guide to Sicily
- Best of Sicily Guide
My suggestions for a Sicily vacation (plan for at least 2 weeks so you can pack all this in):
- Explore the beautiful landscapes (Mt. Etna is a favorite)
- Definitely hit the sand-less beaches
- Soak in the culture (visit the Valley of Temples)
- Check out the shoot locations from Godfather
- Go to Palermo, and do nothing!
- Indulge in a whole lot of wine, cheese and ice-cream
Do you have any particular tips or guides for planning a vacation to Sicily? If yes, share via comments below!
(Image Credits: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5, Image 6, Image 7, Image 8, Image 9, Image 10, Image 11, Image 12)
5 Comments
I’ve been communicating with three of the producer/location people from GFII. They all remember the site, but it was so long ago, blah, blah, blah. They are all pretty old.
One, however, said he was sure it was in Catania, and described De Niro driving the car. So, I started searching in Catania. Catania isn’t merely a city, but a province as well. So, I started contacting anybody I could think of in the area, who might know. I managed to talk to a tour agent who knew the approximate location. She didn’t have an exact address, and said it is nearly destroyed. She also said she didn’t know who the owner was, but that it wasn’t accessible to the public. She said it is close to the town of Acireale, between Santa Tecla and Strazzo, which narrows it down further. So, I Google map searched that stretch.
I also figure, from looking closely at the second scene with the house, that it must face southward. Just before Vito guts Don Ciccio, you can see the sea behind him, and he is facing toward the left where Don Ciccio is snoozing on the front porch.
So, now all I have to do is drive up and down all the east-west running streets between Santa Tecla and Strazzo, looking to the right (north) for the house. Hopefully the front gate, or something is recognizable.
That’s the plan for now. I have a couple of contacts, that I got from my Hollywood producer contacts, who are in Rome, and apparently were location scouts for the film. So, I might be able to narrow it down further before I leave for Sicily in June.
If anybody has any other ideas, clues, thoughts, experience in the area, contacts, etc. please let me know. I’ll post pictures when I return in July.
That’s the plan
That sounds like quite a plan Erik! Have a wonderful trip and we hope you find the house.
I’m trying to find the location of Don Ciccio’s villa from The Godfather Part II.
No, it isn’t Castello degli Schiavi. That’s a different house, that was used in all three films.
This one is the location where Vito’s mother was killed, and from which Vito escaped. It was used later when the adult Vito returns to Sicily to take his revenge by killing Don Ciccio.
Any clues?
Wow Erik, that’s an interesting piece of trivia! I tried looking but there’s lots of conflicting information on the internet. This TripAdvisor listing says it’s Fiumefreddo but am still not sure. Will update this thread if I find something different! 🙂 Thanks for visiting.
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