Everywhere you look in Sicily, it feels like you&rsquore seeing a painting come to life. The glistening Mediterranean, the medieval architecture, and the bright-as-ever sun make it a beautiful destination. It&rsquos no wonder that when Mario Puzo&rsquos &lsquoThe Godfather&rsquo was being adapted to reel by Francis Ford Coppola, Sicily&rsquos Savoca and Forza d&rsquoAgro fit as the perfect backdrop for some of the most iconic scenes in the movie. 

If you&rsquove watched the movie or read the book, you know how Corleone came to be Vito&rsquos last name. But if you haven&rsquot, there&rsquos an interesting story behind the name. Corleone, in fact, is an actual town located in the south of Palermo. Vito&ndashplayed by Marlon Brando&ndashhailed from Corleone when he was smuggled to America on a ship, an immigration officer assumed his last name to be Corleone because Vito didn&rsquot understand when he was asked his name in English.

Despite Corleone being a real town, Frances chose to shoot most of the scenes in Savoca as he thought it suited the era imagined by Puzo. Luckily, much of Savoca and Forza d&rsquoAgro has been preserved to make you feel like you&rsquore a part of the Corleone world without drugs, guns, and crime. 

Bar Vitelli In Savoca

Bar Vitelli has been in the background of many iconic scenes in the first instalment. When Michael Corleone arrives in Sicily, seeking refuge after igniting a mafia war between Italian mob families in New York, he falls in love with Apollonia, whose father owns the cafe. This is where Michael meets Apollina&rsquos father and asks permission to marry his daughter. 

The bar is located in the town&rsquos main square, Piazza Fossia, and still looks pretty much the same as it does on screen. The terrace is covered with vines and offers a stunning view of Savoca&ndashit&rsquos as romantic as it gets 

Address Piazza Fossia, 7, 98038 Savoca ME, Italy 

Church of San Nicolo in Savoca

Following the trail of Michael&rsquos love story, this church is where he and Apollonia got married in the film. If you see the scene where they walk away from the church closely, you can spot it in the background. It is perched on a hilltop, so be ready to burn some calories, but also for a breathtaking view of the Ionian sea. The church is just a 20-minute drive away from Bar Vitelli. 

Address Via S. Nicolo, 4, 98038 Savoca ME, Italy 

The church of the Santissima Annunziata & Forza d&rsquoAgro

This church is Forza d&rsquoAgro&ndasha quaint village located roughly 12 km from Savoca&ndashis another spot where many scenes from the landmark movie were shot. This church dates back to the 15th century. However, it was reconstructed in the 18th century in the Baroque style. The church&rsquos ochre walls and medieval architecture has been used as a canvas throughout various scenes in all three movies, but most notably during the Sunday mass scene in part 2, right before Vito leaves Sicily to return to America. 

Since Forza d&rsquoAgro is not very big, the whole village has almost been covered in all the movies. So, it would be best if you toured the entire village rather than visiting one place. However, the stone-paved, winding paths are not suited for cars, so expect a lot of walking and climbing. 

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