Maps of Movies
Malèna (2000)
Where Malèna says it takes place, and where it was really shot.
The Sicilian town of the film does not exist; it was built from Syracuse, Noto, a Rome studio and a Morocco coast.
View on the map
Scenes and places
Malèna crosses the square (1940)
On the day Italy enters the war, Renato gets his first bicycle and joins the boys watching the town's most desired woman walk by. He sees Malèna for the first time and cannot look away.
Set in Castelcutò main square (fictional town) — The long square where the town's men follow Malèna with their eyes as she walks across it.
A long, narrow cathedral square in the historic centre of Syracuse.
Filmed at Piazza Duomo, Syracuse (Ortigia · Piazza Duomo, Syracuse, Italy) — A location guide names this elongated square as the setting for Malèna's strolls; the coordinate is the cathedral's, standing in for the square. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there:
Through the narrow streets (1940)
Renato trails Malèna through the lanes, learning how the town talks about her. His crush turns into an obsession.
Set in Castelcutò, narrow streets (fictional town) — The narrow lanes of the town where Malèna is watched and talked about.
The old island quarter of Syracuse, a maze of stone lanes.
Filmed at Ortigia, Syracuse (Ortigia, Syracuse, Italy) — A location guide names the narrow streets of Ortigia as recognisable features of Castelcutò; no specific scene is given. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there:
Running through the bombed town (1943)
When the war reaches Sicily, the Allies bomb the town. Malèna loses her father and is left penniless.
Set in Castelcutò after the bombing (fictional town) — The town's streets in ruins after the Allied raid.
A film studio in Rome.
The white cliff by the sea (1940)
Away from the town, Renato writes his letters to Malèna by the sea and meets his friends.
Set in Renato's cliff by the sea (fictional town) — The cliff beach where young Renato writes letters to Malèna and meets friends.
A white marl cliff dropping to the sea on Sicily's southern coast.
Filmed at Scala dei Turchi, Realmonte (Scala dei Turchi, Realmonte, Italy) — A location guide names this white rock wall as where young Renato takes refuge to write letters and meet friends. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there:
Filmed at El Jadida, Morocco (City level, El Jadida, Italy) — Unknown Google Maps · Apple Maps
Characters
- Renato — A teenage boy in Castelcutò who becomes obsessed with Malèna.
- Malèna — The town's most desired young woman, alone while her husband is away at war.
Questions answered on the map
- Where is the Sicilian town from Malèna?