Where it was filmed 'Vita da Carlo'

The reality and fiction that tell the daily life of Carlo Verdone intertwine and fuse in Vita da Carlo. The private and public lives of the actor mostly take place in Rome, the city of his birth and setting for most of his films, which, with all its inherent contradictions between eternal beauty and unsolved problems, ends up taking a starring role in the series alongside the man.

Carlo’s private life takes place mostly in his apartment: inspired by the actor’s country and city homes, the set designer, Giuliano Pannuti built the set at the Video Studios. The fictitious city apartment is intended to be located in the Monteverde neighbourhood of Rome: a residential building dating to the early 1900s, quite close to the actor’s real home, provided the exterior. The building also includes the communal terrace where Carlo loves spending time and where his daughter Maddalena’s rather nosy ex-boyfriend Chicco (Antonio Bannò), camps out. The view from the terrace provides the stunning panorama for Carlo’s fictional home, very similar to that of his real one.

In episode 1, Carlo and his friend, actor Max Tortora, discuss the latter’s lack of libido as they wander down vicolo del Leopardo in Trastevere where they notice the rubbish and mess. They are heading for piazza della Scala and the ancient pharmacy of Santa Maria della Scala, a location used various times in the series. The scene also includes Porta Settimiana, at the start of the present day via della Lungara, well known to Verdone’s fans because it appears in Fun is Beautiful, which he starred in and directed in 1980.

In episode 2, Carlo and Max are going to a funeral but the road is blocked by works. Insistent fans convince Carlo to get out of the car to take photos:  the scene is set on via Garibaldi, at the Acqua Paola fountain, which is better known as the fontanone del Gianicolo. The funeral takes place at the Church of Santa Caterina ai Funari, in the Sant’Angelo quarter. At night, gripped by insomnia, Carlo leaves the house and heads for passeggiata del Gianicolo where, leaning out from the wall where the articles of the Constitution of the Roman Republic are inscribed, towards one of the best views of the city, he has a surreal conversation with actor Alessandro Haber.

Antonello Venditti’s “Self-portraits” photo exhibition in episode 3 is displayed in the courtyard of Palazzo Altemps, part of the Museum Nazionale Romano. A little later, near the Roman Forum, Carlo bumps into his pharmacist friend, Annalisa (Anita Caprioli) at lunch in piazza della Consolazione who invites him to sit with her:  behind her is the Church of Santa Maria della Consolazione. Carlo is just steps away in the following scene when he talks with his assistant on the phone:  he walks down via di San Giovanni Decollato, leaving the church of that name behind him, and past the entrance to the Church di Sant'Eligio dei Ferrari.

In episode 4, Carlo and Max have an unexpected experience when the reckless chauffeur, engaged to take them to the stadium, overexcited and pressured by his VIP clients’ hurry, drives down backwards for a long stretch to then make a fast and furious U-turn on via Giacomo Medici, in the Gianicolo area, continue down a road the wrong way at top speed and crash into the rubbish bins. The three end up at the Hospital of San Filippo Neri, instead of the stadium: the interiors of the hospital where Carlo and Max are listening to the game on the radio are actually those of the Hospital Carlo Forlanini in the Gianicolo area which was operational from 1920 to 2015.

In episode 5, Carlo and Annalisa finally go on a date, but there is always the unexpected to consider and the couple ends up taking a young girl to find a night pharmacy: this time the setting is in the EUR neighbourhood and there is just time to catch a glimpse of an evocative shot of Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (the so-called square Colosseum) whose austere illuminated bulk reflects in the fountain outside.  Carlo’s car drives along piazzale Konrad Adenauer towards viale Civiltà del Lavoro and the pharmacy, beneath the square porticoes typical of the Rationalist architecture that distinguishes the entire neighbourhood. The girl then requires a lift to the Garibaldi statue on the Janiculum Hill where she is waited by her boyfriend while Carlo and Annalisa’s evening ends with them sitting on the edge of the Gianicolo’s fontanone eating a sandwich bought from a nearby food stall. The episode ends on the view from the fountain where Carlo stops to smoke and think.

In episode 6, Carlo looks for peace and quiet at the Abbey of San Pietro in Valle, in Valnerina, in the municipality of Ferentillo (TR): he finds his friend Morgan amongst the monks’ guests. The interiors used for the monks’ religious functions are those of the Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, located near via Tiburtina in the San Lorenzo neighbourhood of Rome.

In episode 7, Max and Ivana invite Carlo to Fregene to meet a friend of theirs:  the locations of this episode are the last part of the beach of the Villaggio dei Pescatori and Moravia’s former villa where the woman lives.

Towards the end of the episode 8, at the end of yet another busy day, Carlo takes a break near the compound that encloses the Mausoleo Ossario Garibaldino on the Janiculum Hill, in an area known as Colle del Pino, which houses the corpses of those who fell in the battles for Roma Capitale between 1849 and 1870: it is an austere four-sided portico in travertine marble with three arches on each side, positioned at the top of a staircase.

Episode 9 begins at the top of the Colosseum where Carlo defuses a suicide attempt amidst a crowd of cheering fans. At the end of yet another exhausting day, Carlo walks down via San Pietro in Montorio, a staircase linking via Garibaldi in the Trastevere neighbourhood to the ancient Church of San Pietro in Montorio. In 1957, the sculptor Carmelo Pastor Pla depicted the Stations of the Cross here in multicoloured terracotta: the façade of the Church of St. Anthony of Padua stands between the two ramps, all that remains of this deconsecrated church whose two side niches were decorated for the occasion with two sacred statues in neon. The Virgin Mary to the right of the entrance seems intent on sending Carlo a message.

Vita da Carlo: locations in Season 2

He spent the entire first season dithering over the proposal to stand for Mayor of Rome; in the second season of Vita da Carlo Verdone has written a book but has not abandoned his dream of directing an arthouse film, Maria Effe.

Alongside Max Tortora as his friend, Monica Guerritore as his ex-wife, Filippo Contri and Caterina De Angelis as his children, Chicco-Antonio Banno’ as the boyfriend, Maria Paiato as the housekeeper are some new roles: Stefania Rocca, as a children’s author; singer Sangiovanni, chosen by the producer to play a young Verdone in Maria Effe, and guest stars: Ibrahimovic, Christian De Sica, Mita Medici, Claudia Gerini, Gabriele Muccino, Maria De Filippi, Fabio Traversa, Fabio Fazio.

The opening scenes feature via dei fori imperiali with the Vittoriano in the background, as Carlo describes the end of his political adventure. He signs copies of his books at the bookshop in the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome (but the location is in piazza Santi Apostoli).

The apartment in via Giacomo Medici in the Monteverde neighbourhood of Rome with its panoramic view was built on a soundstage and features once again, while scenes offer different glimpses of Rome: the gazometro and ponte di ferro; the bridge and Castel Sant’Angelo; Sant’Agnese in Agone in piazza Navona. Locations also included Fregene (Fiumicino), where Carlo hopes to spark an affinity between the two main characters of his film at the producer’s villa in via Castiglioncello. Carlo searches the streets of Fregene in search of Sangiovanni who has disappeared. He goes to Fiumicino airport to pick up a panicking Max (Tortora).

Carlo takes Sofia (Stefania Rocca) to a restaurant in piazzale dell’Aquilone, Ostia for an award ceremony. Sofia convinces Carlo to swim naked on the beach of Ostia. Sofia’s many extravagant ideas include flying a two-seater plane (a surprised Carlo discovers this outside a hangar at the Airport dell’Urbe), and camping with a group of “lively” kids in Formello.

Terme dei Papi in Viterbo is the setting for a scene where Carlo tries to reassure his housekeeper Annamaria (Maria Paiato).

The cameo of Jessica and Ivano with Claudia Gerini was shot at the Hassler Hotel in piazza Trinità dei Monti, while the scene where she slaps Carlo over and over for a film directed by Gabriele Muccino has piazza del Cavalieri di Malta in the background.

When Sangiovanni realises that he is not right for the part he has been given he leaves from piazzale Ostiense. A clearly discouraged Carlo meets a rough sleeper on a bench in Villa Borghese in piazzale dei Cavalli Marini.