The locations of the film Under the Amalfi Sun
When you think of summer, it’s impossible not to imagine the deep blue sea, the scent of lemons and the sunsets that set the Amalfi Coast ablaze. It is precisely in this dreamlike setting that “Sotto il sole di Amalfi” (Under the Amalfi Sun), a 2022 romantic comedy produced by Lucky Red and distributed by Netflix, comes to life. The film, directed by Martina Pastori, is the sequel to ‘Sotto il sole di Riccione’ (Under the Sun of Riccione, 2020) and is based on the famous film ‘Sapore di mare’ (Taste of the Sea, 1983) by the Vanzina brothers. The cast brings together established actors and emerging faces, including Lorenzo Zurzolo, Ludovica Martino, Isabella Ferrari, Luca Ward, Davide Calgaro, Raz Degan and Andrea Occhipinti.
Although the main target audience is teenagers, the film is suitable for a wider audience. The dynamics are those typically found in a summer comedy, where feelings drive the plot. Love stories begin, become complicated or end unexpectedly, while uncertainties and fears take hold in the characters’ hearts. Against the backdrop of the coast, the protagonists, both young and old, find themselves at a turning point. Each must decide which direction to take for their future.
A year after spending the summer together in Riccione, Vincenzo, Camilla, Furio, Irene and Lucio meet up again in Amalfi for another holiday. Camilla, back from Canada with her friend Nathalie, can finally see Vincenzo again and test their desire to live together. Furio continues his attempts to win over women indiscriminately, while Irene, a caring mother, and Lucio, ready to take the plunge, question their relationship, complicated by the presence of Irene’s ex-husband, Roberto. Will they manage to solve their problems and enjoy an unforgettable summer?
In addition to the plot, what really captivates viewers are the locations. Here is a list of the locations where the film was shot.
Amalfi hosted most of the filming. At the beginning of the film, the pier where Vincenzo, Camilla, Nathalie and Furio disembark is in Piazza Flavio Gioia. The spectacular staircase of the Cathedral of Sant’Andrea provides the backdrop for the scene in which Lucio tells Irene that he knows a more comfortable place for her to sleep. Also in Amalfi are Salvatore’s fruit shop (Via Pietro Capuano), where Vincenzo and Camilla stop to say hello, the stretch of coastline where Furio dives into the sea (Via Giovanni Augustariccio) and the chalet (Ristorante La Marinella in Via Lungomare dei Cavalieri) where Irene tells Camilla that it is difficult to live with a blind person.
In Praiano, Piazza San Gennaro (about one kilometre from our boutique hotel) is where Furio sets off on a bike ride with Rebecca and his friends. The large square, decorated with characteristic majolica paving, offers a magnificent panoramic view of the sea and overlooks the Church of San Gennaro Vescovo e Martire, one of the most beautiful religious buildings on the Amalfi Coast.
Several scenes were also filmed in Atrani: in Piazza Umberto I (overlooked by the monumental Church of San Salvatore de’ Birecto), Vincenzo, Camilla, Nathalie and Furio take part in the village festival; in Largo Maddalena, the same characters take part in a party; while the Ristorante Le Arcate, located in Largo Orlando Buonocore, is where Furio takes Nathalie for dinner, but ends up clashing with the waitress Anna, with whom he falls in love.
Positano is home to the place where the family, consisting of Irene, Vincenzo and Roberto, gather to enjoy a drink. It is Music on the Rocks, one of the most charming and original nightclubs in the world. Spectacularly housed inside a cave, it is located at the eastern end of the picturesque Marina Grande beach.
Instead, the fjord that Camilla, Nathalie, Furio and Rebecca reach by bicycle and then dive into the sea is the Fiordo di Furore. It has been described as ‘a corner of Norway carved into the rock of the Mediterranean’. But despite its name, it is not a real fjord because fjords are formed by glaciers, while Furore is a stretch of water at the mouth of a valley. It was also used as a film set by director Roberto Rossellini, considered the leading exponent of Neorealism and one of the masters of world cinema.
Finally, the scene in which Camilla teaches Vincenzo to ride a bicycle was filmed in the enchanting garden of Villa Rufolo in Ravello, where numerous varieties of plants and flowers accompany breathtaking views of the sea. It is said that in 1882, Richard Wagner, the illustrious German musician, was brought here on muleback during his stay in Positano, in search of inspiration for his Parsifal.
Main photo © Everyeye Cinema | Photo gallery © Italy for Movies
