Hidden Sicily – “in the Godfather’s Footsteps”
Duration: 4 1/2 hours
Tour Code: MES-004
On this delightful tour of Sicily, you'll visit some of the picturesque locales in which scenes from two of The Godfather movies were filmed.
Depart for a brief drive through the center of Messina, then along the highway and coastal road to Santa Teresa, the largest coastal town between Messina and Taormina. From there, you'll travel inland to Savoca, a lovely old village nestled between two hills. The private house at the entrance of Savoca is called Bar Vitelli, which displays a collection of local artisan tools and photographs taken when Francis Ford Coppola was in this area shooting scenes from The Godfather, Part II. Inside the Cappuccini Church's catacombs, you'll see a crypt with 37 standing, fully-clothed and mummified bodies of friars and nobility from the 18th and 19th centuries. Next, begin a slow walking tour along the village's uphill-sloping main street. View the Chiesa Madre, Santa Lucia, San Michele and Immacolata Churches built in the 15th-16th centuries, along with magnificent vistas over the valley. Remains of the Norman Castle can also be seen.
Continue on for a 20-minute drive to Forza d'Agro, a charming little village overlooking the coastline and Arab-Norman castle of Capo Sant'Alessio. In 1990, Al Pacino and Sophia Coppola came here to shoot scenes from The Godfather, Part III. From the main square, circular steps lead up to the Gothic-Catalan portal in front of the 15th-century Church of St. Agostino, or Triade.
Afterward, you'll rejoin your coach for the drive back to the ship, passing the Baroque Chiesa Madre along the way.
Please note: This tour involves approximately 20 minutes of slow walking, including steep, uphill roads, and 30 steps to descend and ascend the catacombs.