The fact that Procida is a magically beautiful place is evident from the fact that the Italian island is often used as a backdrop for films and TV series. The colorful, narrow streets and romantic harbors have already been featured in a number of well-known films and TV chefs also know how to find the island for filming their programs. It’s so much fun to watch these and even more enjoyable to look back at them after you’ve visited the island. While watching the footage, you’ll recognize many places, bringing back that unique island feeling for a while. In this article, I’ll tell you about several films and TV series shot on Procida. I’ll also highlight the locations you can visit in person and the filming spots you might recognize when you’re on the island.
Frequently used filming locations on Procida
Of course, not every spot on the island is easy to identify when watching the footage, but many will be immediately recognizable. What stands out is that certain places on Procida are repeatedly used in films, series and TV programs. Not surprisingly, these are the very spots that I find the most beautiful! Think of the streets Via San Rocco and Salita Castello, the square Piazza Dei Martiri and of course, the colorful harbor Marina Corricella.
Il Postino
Of all the films and series shot on Procida, Il Postino is probably the most famous. The film is based on the novel The Postman (Ardiente Paciencia) by Chilean writer Antonio Skármeta. Il Postino won numerous awards, including an Oscar for Best Music and a BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Film, Best Director and Best Music. The film also earned several Best Foreign Film awards in other countries.
Sadly, there is a tragedy associated with this film. The successful lead actor, Massimo Troisi, had a congenital heart defect and became increasingly ill during filming. He was scheduled to go abroad for a heart transplant as soon as possible, but he insisted on finishing the film first. A day after the shooting wrapped, the actor passed away in his sleep from a heart attack.
The story of Il Postino
Massimo Troisi plays the role of an Italian postman in Il Postino (1994). The story takes place on an Italian island, where the postman, Mario Ruoppolo, befriends an exiled Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, who has recently moved to the island. The islanders are thrilled by Pablo’s arrival and treat him with great admiration. Pablo receives a lot of mail from women, which Mario delivers to his remote home every day. Mario finds this fascinating and seeks to learn from Pablo how he can also become a poet. In addition, Pablo helps Mario win the heart of Beatrice Russo, a beautiful young woman who runs the café Vino e Cucina in the village.
Il Postino filming locations on Procida
A spot on the quay of Marina Corricella serves as the village café Vino e Cucina in the film. For a long time, there was a restaurant at this location: La Locanda del Postino. Unfortunately, during my stay on Procida, the restaurant was closed and it appeared they were in the process of emptying it out. While there are plenty of other lovely restaurants on Procida, it’s still a shame if this one disappears for good.
You can also find the post office, a place that appears frequently in the film. It is actually a small neighborhood supermarket on Salita Castello street. If you walk down Via San Rocco, you’ll pass directly by this neighborhood supermarket. Via San Rocco itself can also be seen in the film. Mario and Pablo are seen several times on the beach, which is Spiaggia Cala del Pozzo Vecchio on the island’s west side.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Various scenes from the film The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) were also shot on Procida. In the film, Procida stands in for Mongibello, the Italian coastal town where Ripley (Matt Damon) befriends Dickie (Jude Law). A special friendship develops between the two men and Marge, Dickie’s fiancé. What happens next, I’ll leave to the imagination of those who have yet to see the film.
The Talented Mr. Ripley film locations on Procida
In fact, the same locations are featured in The Talented Mr. Ripley as in Il Postino. Both Salita Castello and Via San Rocco make appearances, with the stunning Santuario S. Maria delle Grazie Incoronata church in the background. The Chiesa Parrocchiale di Maria SS. della Pietà e di S. Giovanni Battista, the church in Marina Grande, is visible in the shot when Tom Ripley arrives in Italy. After this, you can spot the bus he’s on driving through Salita Castello. This street appears several times in the film, sometimes near the shops and other times further down the road, giving the impression that it was filmed in entirely different locations!
While most of The Talented Mr. Ripley was filmed in other locations, both Procida and its neighboring island Ischia served as the backdrop for the coastal town of Mongibello. Additional filming took place in Rome, Sicily and Venice.
Generazione 56K
A fairly recent series partly shot on Procida is Generazione 56K (2021). I stumbled upon the series just after my visit to Procida while looking for something interesting to watch. When I saw the trailer, I immediately recognized the island! Since my mind was still on Procida and I didn’t want to lose that island feeling, I watched the series almost in one go. With just 8 episodes of about 30 minutes each, it’s not very long, but definitely leaves you wanting more!
The Story of Generazione 56K
Generazione 56K follows the story of three friends, Daniel, Sandro and Luca, who grew up on Procida in the 1990s but now live in Naples. The series alternates between present-day events and flashbacks to their youth on the island. As a teenager, Daniel is hopelessly in love with his neighbor, Ines, but she doesn’t feel the same way. Matilda, Ines’s best friend, secretly harbors feelings for Daniel. At one point, Daniel has a Tinder date that doesn’t show up; or so he thinks. Instead, he bumps into Matilda, whom he initially doesn’t recognize and they end up having a pleasant evening together. However, Matilda is engaged and about to get married. What happens next? Well, I’ll leave that to your imagination…
The series also dives into the boys’ youth when they discover the internet through a 56K modem, which is where the title of the series comes from. The series is beautifully shot and if you’ve visited Procida, the flashbacks are particularly enjoyable. You’ll recognize so many familiar places from the island!
Generazione 56K filming locations on Procida
In Generazione 56K, you’ll see more varied locations on Procida than in the previously mentioned series. Nearly every episode opens with beautiful, atmospheric shots of the island. The most prominent filming location is Casale Vascello, where Daniel and Ines live during their childhood years. Casale Vascello is a courtyard that can be accessed from two sides: Via Largo Castello and Via Principessa Margherita. The children are seen multiple times on the roof of a house, where they enjoy a stunning view of part of Palazzo d’Avalos and Marina Corricella. The distinctive red roof visible in the series belongs to one of the houses on Terra Murata, at the end of Salita Castello, near the entrance to Palazzo d’Avalos.
Beautiful scenes were also filmed at the jetty of Ristorante La Conchiglia da Tonino, located on Spiaggia della Chiaia. The scaffolding featured in the series appears both in the flashbacks and in the present day. You’ll also immediately recognize the viewpoint Panoramica sulla Corricella (on Terra Murata) when the boys ride past on their bicycles, offering a breathtaking view of Marina Corricella. Later in the series, Marina Corricella appears much more frequently, with stunning aerial shots and even on the quay itself when Luca tries to convince Daniel’s father of something.
Just like in the other films mentioned, Generazione 56K was also filmed on Salita Castello, near the Piazza Dei Martiri. The church at the corner, Santuario S. Maria delle Grazie Incoronata, is beautifully featured several times in the series. Via San Rocco also makes an appearance, this time seen from the opposite side.
As you can see, many recognizable places on Procida were used for the filming of Generazione 56K and there are far too many to mention here. It’s highly recommended, whether you’ve been to Procida or not.
Gort Across The Border
Our Dutch television producers also know how to find Procida. In 2017, Ilja Gort traveled to Campania, Italy, for his program Gort over de Grens (Gort Across The Border). In season 1, episode 4, he explores Naples and sails to Procida, where he learns all about the Levante grape, a variety brought from Greece to Italy by the Phoenicians. This grape is still grown on small scale on the island today for the production of local wine. Ilja also joins a mother and son early one morning as they catch fresh fish, which they later prepare together for an extensive lunch on the quay of Marina Corricella. The famous Procida lemons also make an appearance in this episode.
Jamie Cooks Italy
Jamie Oliver also visited Procida for his television program Jamie Cooks Italy. In episode 3, he explores Naples and Procida, diving into the world of seafood dishes on the island. His recipe for Acqua pazza (a traditional Italian seafood dish) is inspired by the flavors of Procida. The Jamie Cooks Italy series aired on 24Kitchen.
Gino’s Italy: Like mamma Used to Make
Jamie Oliver isn’t the only one who has visited Procida for a cooking show. Chef Gino D’Acampo also ventured to the island for his program Gino’s Italy: Like Mamma Used to Make. In this series, Gino seeks out special Italian family recipes. While in his hometown of Torre Del Greco near Naples, he takes a boat to Procida to discover more family recipes from the island. This series was also shown on 24Kitchen (March 2023).
