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Saturday, Oct 12: Savoca optional tour

An optional tour choice was a vicit to Savoca which I along with many others decided select. I am so glad I did because this tour was one of the highlights of my trip! Savoca is a hilltop village (aren't they all) which was one of the filming locations for the classic 1972 movie The Godfather. It is where Al Pacino's character Michael Cortleone fell in love with a young Sician girl. Savoca was founded in 1134 and even today remains untouched. We went into the historic Bar Vitelli where Michael asks Apollonia's hand in marriage from her father. Wek also saw the church built in the 14th century where the wedding of Michael and Apollonia was filmed, the Chiesa di Santa Lucia or Chiesa di San Nicolo.

Top left: the church where Michael was married sits atop a very steep hill. Top right: Some homes in this town of only 2000 people. Bottom left: the Piazza Fossia, a central meeting place for the villagers and right across the street from Bar Vitelli owned by Apollonia's father, Mr. Vitelli. Bottom right: another view of the Piazza Fossia.

Coppola filmed his Sicily scenes in Savoca with his back to the lush valley, dotted with tiny villages, old stone buildings and winding, tree-lined roads. He also completely left out the Mediterranean Sea, visible just beyond the valley from Savoca.

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Above: the Bar Vitelli as it appears in late fall (Google image). Left: Bar Vitelli as it was on my trip. It took just the name of Don Vito Corleone, the head of the Corleone crime family, and the quiet yet intimidating manner of his successor Michael, to get Vitelli to approve of the match with his daughter Apollonia.

It was a long walk up the winding street to reach the church. This was the same path that Michael and Apollonia took as they came down from the church.

Top right: sign identifying the church. Above: on the way up, there was this rather ornate relief on the side of a house. I was told the story, but I've forgotten. The monk on the left with a hood over his herad was significant.

Right: this entryway marks the entrance to a Jewish cemetery. Inside, there are several areas for burial; however, the whole cemetery is overgrown with bushes and weeds. Our guide said there are plans afoot to restore the cemetery, but the small town has limited funds.

Above left: the interior of this church were really impressive. But, the church’s interiors were not shown in the film. Michael married Apollonia kneeling on the doorstep of this church, called Chiesa di Santa Lucia (also Church of San Nicolo), surrounded by cherubic altar boys and gun-toting bodyguards. We were told that Coppola wanted the wedding in the church, but since he had used everyone of the citizens in other shots, he asked the priest. The priest said no, but he did agree to blessing the wedding outside the church. That's why the wedding took place in front of the church doors!

Some people make the mistake of visiting Corleone, the birthplace of Don Vito Corleone. But none of the films were shot there. Another part of the film was filmed in Palermo which I visited on my first day. You can see a photo of the Teatro Massimo which was featured in the climax of The Godfather Part III. In the tense, masterfully directed finale, Anthony makes his opera debut, and the Corleone family watches from their seats, as enemies are vanquished inside the theatre and in the Vatican, while an assassin hunts down Michael.

the four photos above are just some views from the Piazza in Savoca, a really stunning village. I so enjoyed visiting here, and I certainly intend to watch all three of the Godfather films again. After our stay in Savoca, we boarded our buss driven by Franco, our more than able driver, to go back tyo Taormina and our hotel for drinks.

Godfather Trivia: when you watch the films, note that anytime someone is going to die, there are oranges involved. The target is either eating oranges, there are oranges on the table, a glass of orange juice is consumed, etc.