Savoca, the Sicilian village where cinema has never gone away

Savoca , a small village of just 1,750 inhabitants nestled in the hills of the Ionian coast, has become famous throughout the world for being one of the main sets of Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece, The Godfather . Yet, its magic is not limited to cinematic memories and its essence is shaped by paved streets , houses made of lava stone, citrus groves and silence, in a dimension suspended between the earth and the sky, between the scents of the countryside and the splendid Gulf of Taormina, which can be reached from here in just a few minutes.

Walking in Savoca is a bit like traveling through time, among forgotten noble palaces, baroque churches, ruins that dominate the valley and bars that have made the history of cinema.

Where is Savoca located?

Savoca is located in the province of Messina, nestled in the Valle d'Agrò , about 40 kilometers from Messina and 20 from Taormina . A hilltop village overlooking the sea, which lives to the rhythm of the seasons and still retains the charm of small communities, among the most evocative in Sicily .

What to see in Savoca: the City Gate

To welcome those who enter the heart of the village is the Porta della Città , one of the last remains of the ancient Norman fortifications that once protected Savoca.

The monumental sandstone arch, dating back to the 12th century , is what remains of the original city walls that surrounded the town, accessible from two main entrances: one in the San Giovanni district and the other in the San Michele district. Only the latter has survived to this day, a silent witness to an era of conquests, dominations and legends.

Pentefur Castle, between legend and living stone

On one of the two hills on which Savoca extends, stand the ruins of the Pentefur Castle , shrouded in mystery. Its origins are lost in time, perhaps late Roman, perhaps Byzantine, but it was in the 12th century, under the reign of Roger II of Sicily, that it was rebuilt to become the summer residence of the Archimandrite of Messina.

Today, only traces of the castle remain: a quadrangular keep , remains of crenellated walls, interior spaces now bare, but full of memories . From above, you can see the entire territory and understand the defensive function of the structure, once visually connected to a system of towers along the coast including Torre Catalmo, Torre dei Saraceni, Torre del Baglio and many others.

The Church of San Michele, sacred art between Gothic and Baroque

Built around 1250, the Church of San Michele is one of the most significant monuments in the village. Declared a national monument in 2002, it has gone through centuries of history, transforming itself with them: born as a place of worship for the Greek rite liturgy, it was expanded in 1400 with two portals in Gothic-Sicilian-Chiaramontan style, elements that still today embellish its simple gabled façade.

Inside, it houses true artistic treasures : a 1701 fresco depicting the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan, ancient paintings of the saints Cosmas and Damian, baroque altars, an eighteenth-century wooden pulpit, and even the tombs of local notables.

The Church of San Nicolò: Art, Memory and the Myth of The Godfather

Overlooking a deep cliff and embraced by a breathtaking panorama, the Church of San Nicolò is one of the symbolic places of Savoca, so much so that it is known throughout the world for having been the backdrop to one of the most famous scenes of the film The Godfather . It is precisely on its steps that Michael Corleone exits the church alongside Apollonia, on their wedding day. But this church, well before the cinema, was already part of the deepest fabric of Savoca's history.

It was built in the 13th century with sober forms and Byzantine-style frescoes. Only in the 17th century, after significant renovations, did it take on the architectural layout that we can admire: a majestic but austere structure, with lines that recall a fortress. The façade, punctuated by mighty pilasters and divided into two orders, is surmounted by a crenellated parapet that makes it unique. In the center, a refined 15th-century marble bust of Santa Lucia stands out, observing with a steady gaze the discreet comings and goings of the village. Next to it, the bell tower stands out, enriched by a clock.

Inside, there are three elegant naves , separated by granite columns with sculpted capitals, and embellished with marble altars of great value. But the real treasure is the collection of works of art saved from churches that collapsed due to landslides over the centuries. Among these, the fourteenth-century panel of San Michele Arcangelo, a canvas by Gaspare Camarda from 1623 depicting the Madonna del Parto, a silver simulacrum of Santa Lucia made in 1666, and a wooden statue of San Vincenzo Ferreri, sculpted in the second half of the eighteenth century by Filippo Quattrocchi, stand out.

No less significant is the crypt , only partially visible due to the collapse in 1943, but which for centuries has housed the remains of the humblest Savoca residents. In fact, under the small square in front, there are still hidden ossuaries , a tangible reminder of the deep bond between the church and the daily life of the community.

The Mother Church of Mary Assumed into Heaven, the spiritual heart of the village

There is a point in Savoca where the gaze rises and stops, in admiration, on the solemn façade of the Chiesa Madre Maria Assunta in Cielo , the most important sacred building in the village, the matrix that boasts centuries of faith, art and memory. Its origin dates back to 1130 , when it was built on a pre-existing structure. Since then it has resisted time, becoming a National Monument .

On the outside, the double-pitched façade is punctuated by three portals, the central one of which, decorated with Renaissance-style leaf motifs, stands out for its elegance. But it is the imposing bell tower that captures the attention, with its single-lancet windows from the fifteenth century and a very rare clock , which still marks the time according to the ancient Hora Italica.

The interior is pure architectural harmony: three naves, monolithic columns, finely carved Romanesque capitals. Seven altars embellish the space, including the marble high altar, dated 1795. All around, a succession of medieval frescoes , sixteenth-century paintings, the magnificent wooden truss ceiling and the historical presence of the chair of the Archimandrite of Messina.

Capuchin Convent and Crypt, silence and memory

On a hill that watches over the entire town, the Capuchin Convent is not to be missed. Built between 1603 and 1614, it preserves its original structure: on the ground floor there were the library, the refectory and the kitchen, while on the upper floor the twenty cells housed the friars. The convent was self-sufficient, thanks to a large garden now transformed into a municipal park , and still houses some seventeenth-century frescoes created by friar Gaetano La Rosa.

But it is underground, just under the small square in front of the church, that the most evocative and disturbing part of the complex is hidden: the Capuchin Crypt : thirty-seven mummified bodies, belonging to the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie of Savona, rest in niches or open coffins, dressed in period clothes. Patricians, notaries, doctors, poets, religious figures, even three children and a noblewoman.

Next to the crypt, the Church of San Francesco d'Assisi has a simple gabled façade, a stone portal and a cosy interior, where two altars stand out (one in marble, the other in wood) that tell of Franciscan devotion.

Palazzo Trimarchi and the Bar Vitelli, cinema and identity

In the center of the town, Palazzo Trimarchi stands out for its elegant lines and small balconies in carved stone. A noble building, built between the end of the seventeenth century and the beginning of the eighteenth century, it was one of the most prestigious residences of ancient Savoca. Belonging to the influential Trimarchi family, it is now known throughout the world for a reason that has nothing to do with nobility, but everything to do with the power of cinema.

In 1971, some of the key scenes of The Godfather were filmed on the ground floor of Palazzo Trimarchi. It is here that Michael Corleone stops to ask for Apollonia's hand in marriage. Even today, the small place exists, preserved as it once was, and is known by all as the Bar Vitelli . The interior is an informal museum: photographs, memorabilia, posters, everything tells the story of the bond between Savoca and that film that has become legendary. Stopping here for a lemon granita or an iced coffee is a small ritual that unites story and reality, fiction and memory.

The Church of Calvary: Silence, Rites and Views That Speak to the Heart

Also worth seeing is the Church of Calvary , which stands on the top of the hill of the same name and dominates the landscape with an unforgettable view of Etna, the Ionian coast and the entire village.

The church, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of the Seven Sorrows and the Holy Cross, was built in the 18th century on the remains of an ancient hermitage once inhabited by Basilian monks from the Abbey of Saints Peter and Paul of Agrò, in Casalvecchio Siculo. In this secluded place, where the air smells of wild herbs and distant saltiness, the monks found refuge for prayer and meditation.

In 1735, it was the Jesuit monks who left a strong mark: here they built the stations of the Via Crucis , marking the hill with the steps of the Passion. Since then, the Church of Calvary has become the heart of the rites linked to Holy Week , which are carried out with solemnity and collective participation.

In front of the church stands a large stone arch, with a noble and mysterious appearance, which is believed to have belonged to an ancient structure and which today welcomes those who come up here, like a threshold between the visible and the invisible.