Where Was Medici Filmed

February 16, 2024

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How many of you have watched the TV series ‘Medici’ (Season 1- Masters of Florence, Seasons 2-3 The Magnificent)?!? I have just finished watching all the 24 episodes on Netflix UK and I absolutely loved it! The Italian historical drama series is about the famous Florentine Medici family, bankers of the Pope and probably the wealthiest family in Europe in the XV century. Despite being set in Florence, the series was shot at over 300 stunning locations around Tuscany and Lazio, including Bracciano, Viterbo, Caprarola, Tivoli, Pienza, Montepulciano and Santa Marinella. Me and my friends recently spent three wonderful days visiting Viterbo and its gorgeous surroundings, and a few days exploring Ostia and Tivoli, so it was amazing to see the same locations used as the set for such a great TV series. The creators often showed interior decorations, works of art and exterior landscapes that were actually created many years later, and many places shown are not the real ones. The medieval old town of Viterbo and its Papal Palace, for example, are the set for medieval Rome, of which they only show the Colosseum and Castel Sant’Angelo before the scenes set in the capital so you think it’s Rome, but it’s actually about an hour and a half away from the city.

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Palazzo dei Papi – Viterbo

The city of Viterbo played an important role in the Church during the XIII century, as several popes resided here because Rome was going through a period of unrest. The Papal Palace was built between 1255 and 1266, after Pope Alexander IV had transferred the seat of the Pontifical Curia to Viterbo in 1257. After Pope Clement IV died in 1268, the cardinals could not agree on his successor after discussing the matter for almost two years. City officials finally lost their patience and the cardinals ended up being locked in the hall where they used to meet. Hoping they would come to a decision, they also reduced their food to bread and water, and removed the roof off the meeting hall. They finally decided on Pope Gregory X, who instituted the conclave (under lock and key) as a way to elect a new pope. Other conclaves were held in Viterbo, which was however excommunicated in 1281 due to the reaction of the inhabitants when Pope Martin IV was elected, so, for over a century no popes were seen in the city. Nowadays you can visit the ‘Conclave Hall’ and the ‘Benediction Loggia’, which was originally covered, but the roof collapsed towards the end of the XV century. The elegant fountain you see on the loggia was later added by Cardinal Raffaele Riario. Five popes are buried in Viterbo: Pope Clement IV and Pope Adrian V are entombed in the Church of San Francesco, each on either side of the main altar. Pope John XXI is buried in the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, adjacent to the Papal Palace. Pope Alexander IV was also buried in the cathedral, but his tomb was subsequently destroyed.

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Address: Piazza San Lorenzo 10, Viterbo.

Opening Hours: For up-to-date opening hours is better to call, as the website might not always be up-to-date, and you can also check whether there are special exhibitions or tours going on. Contact number: +39 320 7911328.

Admission: Adult 9 Euros (the ticket includes entry to the Cathedral of San Lorenzo and the Museo Colle Del Duomo, which are a few metres away from the Papal Palace).

VITERBO (5) — San Lorenzo Cathedral and the Papal Palace

VITERBO (4)

Palazzo Farnese – Caprarola

The beautiful ‘Palazzo Farnese’ and its gardens and gorgeous fountains are often seen in the TV series. The frescoed internal terrace-courtyard doubles as a Medici mansion in the series, while another terrace and the secret gardens are used to represent a Vatican property in Rome and the Vatican Gardens. A real gem of Italian XVI century’s architecture, Palazzo Farnese was designed by Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola on an early project by Antonio da Sangallo The Younger. Alessandro Farnese The Younger entrusted Vignola with reviewing Sangallo’s designs, but he maintained the formidable pentagonal structure that gives the building a peculiar grandiosity, with a harmonious mix of military and civilian architecture lines. The palace itself, the rooms, the frescoes and the gardens are truly fascinating.

Address: Piazza Farnese 1, Caprarola (VT).

Villa Lante- Bagnaia

Another beautiful location you will see in the ‘Medici’ series, Villa Lante is only a short drive from Viterbo. Ten minutes’ drive from the city and half an hour’s drive from Palazzo Farnese, you can visit both on the same day. The twin villas are beautiful, but you can only access two frescoed rooms on the ground floor, except for special days when you can also visit rooms on the first floor through guided tours. The gorgeous gardens are what the villa is actually famous for. In episode 7 of season 2 of the TV series you will see a scene where Clarice (Lorenzo The Magnificent’s wife) and Carlo de Medici (Lorenzo’s uncle, who had been locked up as a result of Salviati and the Pazzi’s plan to get rid of the Medici family) meet in the gardens, as Carlo had been forced to pretend he was fine when Clarice insisted on seeing him. Named after the Lante della Rovere family, who owned the estate until 1933, the villa was created by Cardinal Raffaele Riario and later owned by Cardinal de Gambara, who continued the works of the fine Renaissance gardens. Vignola is thought to have designed the gardens, but there is no proof of that. Above the Italian gardens and fountain, there are more differently-decorated levels with fountains and water features. The view of the main garden from the top is amazing, so, make sure you walk your way up the stairs if you visit the villa.

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Address: Via Jacopo Barozzi, 71, Bagnaia (VT) If you drive to Bagnaia make sure you park your car in one of the parking spaces you find before reaching Bagnaia’s main square, from which you can reach the villa in a few minutes’ walk.

Admission: Adult 5 Euros – The ticket office is on the left-hand side of the impressive Pegasus Fountain, which you will see as soon as you enter the gates to the villa. For up-to-date opening hours and fees please check their website and Facebook page.

Villa D’Este – Tivoli

The gorgeous room you see in the first episode of season 2 of the TV series, where Lorenzo The Magnificent is talking to poet Poliziano and painter Sandro Botticelli, is used as one of the rooms of the Medici’s palace in Florence, but it’s actually the ‘Salone della Fontana’ (Hall of the Fountain) from Villa D’Este in Tivoli, which is around fifty minutes’ drive from Rome. Villa D’Este is a magnificent example of Renaissance art and culture. Both the palace and the gardens are a real gem, and the fountains are impressive. Designed by Pirro Ligorio on behalf of Cardinal Ippolito II D’este of Ferrara, Villa D’Este is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The gardens served as a model for the development of gardens in Europe; they stretch over two steep slopes, descending from the palace down to a flat terrace as an amphitheatre. The loggia of the palace marks the longitudinal and central axis of the gardens. The most impressive fountains are the ‘Fontana dell’Organo’ (Organ Fountain), which looks amazing from far, thanks to the cascading water from the ‘Fontana di Nettuno’ (Fountain of Neptune) that makes it look majestic, and the ‘Fontana Della Rometta’ (Rometta Fountain), located at the opposite end of the ‘Cento Fontane’ (Hundred Fountains) from the ‘Fontana Ovale’ (Oval Fountain). It is an important piece of the symbolic story told by the upper gardens; the waters of the Tiber River emerge in the Tiburtini Mountains, symbolized by the Oval Fountain, run through the valley (The Hundred Fountains) and arrive at the gates of Rome. The Rometta Fountain is Ancient Rome in miniature. On clear days you can see the real city in the distance behind the fountain, and we were actually lucky as we were able to spot the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica when we visited!!!

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Address: Piazza Trento, 5, Tivoli (Rome).

Admission: Adult 12 Euros – EU citizens between 18-25 years old pay 2 Euros. Please check the official website for up-to-date opening hours and fees. I recommend you also call them or email them to double check, that’s what we also did. The contact number is +39 0774 768082 and their email address is [email protected]