It was 1971, the year in which American director Francis Ford Coppola shot one of his most famous films: The Godfather. The scenes set in Corleone were filmed in several towns in Sicily, including Savoca and Forza d'Agrò, hillside villages in the province of Messina. How can we forget, for example, the famous 'Bar Vitelli', which was built into the entrance door of Palazzo Trimachi, now one of Savoca's most famous attractions? A stop here to taste an excellent lemon granita and admire the photos of the film hanging on the walls is a must.
However, the Savoca area deserves to be discovered for many other reasons, not just because it was the setting for the Godfather. For example, it is worth stopping here to admire its treasures, such as the medieval synagogue that was converted into a residence in 1470. Also worth a visit is the Museum, for a taste of local history and traditions, and the Church of San Nicola di Bari, the location of one of the most famous moments in his film: the wedding between Apollonia and Michael Corleone. Also of medieval origin is the village of Forza d'Agrò, with a suggestive belvedere that embraces the coast and from which you can admire Messina, Syracuse, Taormina, the Naxos Gardens and Mount Etna. Of great value is the ancient manor house, which stands in the heart of the town and preserves the guardhouse and fortified walls, the Cathedral of the Santissima Annunziata, the church of the Triad, with its spectacular arch, and the Augustinian convent. Here, in particular, it is possible to visit the catacombs, where the mummies of some of the nobles who spent their lives in Forza d'Agrò are kept.
Leaving the centre, you will come across old farmhouses and the Rocche a Scala, ancient shelters shaped by nature. In Savoca and Forza d'Agrò the traveller will feel projected, literally, into another dimension.
