Where Was La Dolce Villa Filmed? Netflix Movie's Filming Locations Explained

Netflix's brand-new romantic comedy, La Dolce Villa, is firmly set in Italy, but many audiences may be wondering where exactly the movie was filmed. La Dolce Villa tells the story of Olivia and Eric. Olivia is a young woman who decides to purchase a crumbling Italian villa in order to fix it up herself. Eric, her father, is not too happy with this plan, and deserts his busy work life to travel to Italy and talk her out of it. However, Eric's plan goes awry when he meets someone special in the romantic landscape of Italy.

Setting is pivotal for movies, and this is especially true for La Dolce Villa and its characters. The entire premise of the film revolves around the idea that Olivia (and Eric) travel to Italy for a change of pace. For Olivia, Italy is a dream that she is hoping to pursue through her villa. Eric, wrapped up in his own life, sees Italy as a means to an end. Yet, he eventually comes to realize that Italy holds beautiful scenery, inspiration, and most importantly, the chance for romance. So many may be wondering where these idyllic scenes filmed.

San Quirico D’orcia, Tuscany

The Site Of Montezara

Eric chats with 3 women in La Dolce Villa

The majority of La Dolce Villa takes place in a town called Montezara. This is where Olivia's villa is located, and is characterized as a somewhat run-down village that is struggling in comparison to other Italian cities. Some viewers may be surprised to learn that Montezara is not a real town, but is actually an Italian village located in Tuscany called San Quirico D’orcia. Most of La Dolce Villa was filmed in this tiny town, which has only about 2,500 inhabitants.

When asked about his settings, La Dolce Villa director Mark Waters explained that San Quirico D’orcia was the perfect choice for the movie because it gave off the run-down yet charming atmosphere that he imagined for Montezara. Unlike other surrounding towns like Siena or Montepulciano, that were too big or too picture-perfect, San Quirico D’orcia had an authentic feeling of struggle and small-town charisma. It was the perfect place for Olivia to buy a villa for one euro in order to bring in new residents, (TheWrap.)

San Gregorio da Sassola, East Lazio

The Outside Of Olivia's Villa

Maia Reficco as Olivia in La Dolce Villa

Another town that La Dolce Villa utilized during filming was San Gregorio da Sassola, located in East Lazio. While this town provided plenty of exterior shots of Italy's rolling hills, it also served as the spot for Olivia's villa, or at least the outside of it. Presumably, this change in scenery had to do with what buildings were actually available in these towns. For example, Waters told TheWrapthat he and his crew added a fountain and storefronts to San Quirico D’orcia to spruce up the area. Therefore, San Gregorio da Sassola was likely chosen for its villa.

Though Waters describes these places as ramshackle, they do have the look of ancient castles meant for royalty from days long past.

For those interested in San Gregorio da Sassola outside the movie magic, it is another small Italian village that is located just 45 minutes outside of Rome. Surprisingly, San Gregorio da Sassola is even smaller than San Quirico D’orcia, with only about 1,600 residents. However, regardless of their sizes, both villages can be characterized by their cascading off-white buildings, set into hillsides. Though Waters describes these places as ramshackle, they do have the look of ancient castles meant for royalty from days long past.

Cinecittà Studios, Rome

La Dolce Villa's Interior Scenes

Eric and Olivia check the villa with Francesca in La Dolce Villa

While San Gregorio da Sassola and San Quirico D’orcia served as the main locations for La Dolce Villa's exterior shots, all the interiors were shot at Cinecittà Studios in Rome. Cinecittà Studios is a very well-known and established company that takes on all sorts of big Hollywood productions, from Gangs of New York to Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Notably, it is the biggest film studio in all of Europe, and was built between the 1920s and the 1940s as a way for Italian movies and cinema to compete with Hollywood. Now though, it is used for collaboration, (RadioTimes.)

The most astounding part of La Dolce Villa using Cinecittà Studios is the fact that the titular villa was filmed in two vastly different locations. While the exteriors were shot 45 minutes outside of Rome, in San Gregorio da Sassola, the interiors took place on a movie set. Yet, when watching the film, it is nearly impossible to tell the difference. Ultimately, this just goes to show how projects like La Dolce Villa, which are seemingly straightforward, also use movie magic to create a thorough and believable world.

The Roma Trastevere Railway Station, Rome

Eric's Arrival

One final location that audiences may have been able to recognize in La Dolce Villa was The Roma Trastevere Railway Station, which is located in the heart of Rome. Though this location only comes up briefly, when Eric first arrives in Italy, it is a pretty iconic place that many real people use daily. The inclusion of the train station helps make La Dolce Villa feel even more realistic, as Eric does not just magically land in Montezara, but must travel like any regular person.

All in all, La Dolce Villa showcases some of the finest Italian landscapes that many audiences may have never seen before. Though the movie has plenty of screentime in big cities like Rome, it also offers a sneak peek at more hidden gems within the Italian countryside like San Quirico D’orcia. Because of this, La Dolce Villais not just a sweet and satisfying rom-com, but it also works as a mini travel guide for Italy.