On the trail of the godfather
The famous F. F. Coppola "Godfather"’s Sicily is located here, North of
Etna near Taormina, far from the true Corleone.
We will see the "Corleone"’s Church
(in Forza d’Agrò) with the façade with which begins the
film, and this image recurs like a refrain in the other two parts of the
film, for suggesting, perhaps, the perception that Coppola had had of
Sicily. We could have a coffee or a “granita” at the Bar Vitelli, or
visit the Church where married Michael and Apollonia.
For groups of three or more people, for an entrance fee of € 25.00, you
can visit the "House of Don Tommasino", the palace that houses the
Corleones when they are in Sicily, where the car explodes with
Apollonia, there where the film ends with the death of Michael. The
owner of the location, Castello degli Schiavi, a descendant of the noble
family of the Sicilian barons who built the castle, welcomes and tells
interesting details of the film and his friendship with the film's cast.
This is not a simple encounter with the captivating story told by the
film. It is a way and a chance to learn about a particular image of
Sicily, perhaps reflect on the reasons that led the Director to choose
the setting of its history.
The same Savoca, is not just the set of famous scenes. Is a place where
is made a bit of history of the meeting of Eastern and Western Christian
cultures. Savoca was the seat of Archimandrite and center of a County,
an important religious and cultural centre along the centuries.