The Godfather Experience

by coach & on foot

Departing the port, enjoy a short drive before leaving the city of Messina behind and starting the journey along the highway, and the coastal road ,to Santa Teresa, the largest town between Messina and Taormina.

From here, a picturesque road runs inland to Savoca, an unspoilt village that sits in a saddle between two hills. Its scenic beauty and historical-artistic heritage makes Savoca one of the most attractive, although little-known, places in the environs of Taormina.

Your first stop is at the Cappuccini crypt which houses the so-called catacombs. Here there are 37 fully dressed mummified bodies, mainly of friars and noble people who lived there in the 18th and 19th centuries. You’ll then make a short stop at Bar Vitelli, which has a collection of local artisans’ tools and photographs taken when Francis Ford Coppola shot scenes for ‘The Godfather’.

Following this, you’ll start a slow walking tour along the village’s main street which climbs up the hill. Along the way, you’ll pass by several churches of the 15th and 16th centuries - Chiesa Madre, Santa Lucia and San Michele. You’ll then arrive at the ruins of a Norman castle and enjoy a magnificent view of the Sicilian coastline, the Strait of Messina, the Italian mainland and the villages perched on the surrounding hills.

After your visit to Savoca you’ll proceed to Forza d’Agro. A 30-minute drive will take you to this charming little village overlooking the Arab-Norman castle of Capo Sant’Alessio and the coastline towards Messina. Along with Savoca, the village is known as the filming location of several scenes in ‘The Godfather’ films.

In 1990, Al Pacino and Sophia Coppola came here when they shot some scenes for ‘The Godfather III’. From the main square, a lane leads to the Gothic-Catalan portal in front of the Church of St. Agostino, also known as ‘Triade’, which features an attractive 15th-century facade. Before departing back to Messina, you will see the Baroque Mother Church which was also used as a filming location.