IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE GODFATHER

Since Corleone was too developed to be used for filming, the towns

of Savoca and Forza d'Agro’, in the hills outside of Taormina, were

chosen instead. Bar Vitelli where Michael (Al Pacino) asks Appolonia

in marriage and the wedding church of San Nicolo’ are both located

in the medieval village of Savoca. Bar Vitelli, famous for its lemon

‘granita’, is an 18th century, stone-flagged structure that is still owned

by the family that were in situ when the movies were filmed. A

collection of memorabilia, newspaper cuttings and photographs taken

when Francis Ford Coppola shot some scenes of ‘The Godfather II’

adorn the inside walls. Among the monuments in Savoca of remarkable interest is the Convent of the Capuchins built in 1603 with various

murals decorating the exterior and interior walls. In the basement

there is a crypt with over thirty fully dressed mummified bodies of

notables and friars of the same convent who died between the XVII

and XVIII centuries. Some of the mummified bodies are exposed in

niches, others in wooden sarcophaguses. From the church courtyard is possible to enjoy a wonderful view of the town. Close by, Forza d'Agrò

is an attractive medieval village dominated by a 16th century castle overlooking the coast. The Church of Sant'Agostino features in the scene where Vito escapes to the U.S.A hotly pursued by Don Ciccio's men.

Some scenes from The Godfather Part III were also shot here. Worth mentioning is the baroque Church dedicated to the Annunciation

adorned inside with prized pieces like a 1500’s panel of the Holy Cross,

a 1500’s painting of the Annunciation and a marble statue depicting

Santa Caterina d’Alessandria. Other locations chosen by the film crew

were the train station in Taormina, il Castello degli Schiavi in

Fiumefreddo where Michael's first wife, Apollonia, is murdered and

Michael eventually dies, and the opera scene at the close of the trilogy

at Teatro Massimo in Palermo.

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