The new Netflix adaptation of The Talented Mr Ripley is a masterclass in sumptuous storytelling and will likely have you ask the question, where was Ripley filmed? Set in 1960s Italy, the eight-episode series was almost exclusively shot on location, taking its viewers from the vibrant Amalfi coast to the mid-century glamour of Rome and the inky waterways of Venice. Here’s everything you need to know about the filming locations in Ripley.
Where in Italy was Ripley filmed?
The latest adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel, Ripley tells the tale of con man Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) who assumes the identity of wealthy American expat Richard ‘Dickie’ Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn). It is a gripping storyline, yes, but it is also a visual feast, entirely filmed in black-and-white period style (inspired by the book Neorealismo: The New Image in Italy 1932-1960). Cinematographer Robert Elswit deserves a special mention here, his meticulous film noir style, stunning interplay of light and shadow, and intuitive understanding of texture and scope, all adding to the show’s flawless aesthetic.
Created by writer-director Steven Zaillian and production designer David Gropman, the eight-episode series is mainly set in Italy in the winter of 1960, taking the viewer on a dreamy mid-century journey through the country’s most scenic spots, including Atrani, Capri, Anzio, Rome, Palermo, Naples and Venice. Ripley was almost entirely filmed on location, with each of these villages, towns and cities starring as itself. One thing not real, however, was the interior of Tom’s apartment in Rome; though Zaillian and Gropman visited several Roman apartments, in the end the one we see on screen was built on soundstages at the famous Cinecittà Studios in Rome.
Can you stay in Dickie Greenleaf’s villa in Atrani?
The short answer to this is, yes, though it’s not in Atrani. The villa where we see shipping scion/charming playboy/aspiring artist Dickie drinking martinis, listening to records and trying his hand at painting is actually on the island of Capri and bookable via Airbnb. Called Villa Torricella, the property is divided into separate residences, and the film crew had to negotiate with three different families to use it. It’s easy to see why Zaillian fell in love with it as Dickie’s house; it perfectly encapsulates la dolce vita, with its Arabesque tower, tiled walls, wisteria-covered terrace and sweeping views over the Gulf of Naples (it’s 400m above sea level).
Villa aside, the rest of the Atrani-based storyline was filmed in the small coastal town, which is an hour from Positano. Hugging the Amalfi coastline, and with a population of around 800, it had all the requisite features that Zaillian and Gropman were looking for – a photogenic piazza (Piazzetta Umberto), a period-correct beach, and a labyrinth of steep stairs and winding corridors (the charming post office was a garage located in a tunnel under the tiny San Salvatore de’ Birecto church). It also had the perfect house to play the home of Dickie’s suspicious girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Dakota Fanning). “I just loved it – this perfect little square sitting at the top of Atrani,” Gropman said of the building.
How can you follow Tom’s footsteps in Rome?
The main action in episodes 4 to 6 takes place in the Eternal City, where Tom begins to build a new life under a new identity – and where further drama unfurls as he crosses paths with Freddie Miles (Eliot Sumner). Though, as mentioned, Tom’s apartment is actually a film studio, many of the city’s landmarks can be spotted in the show, including the Grand Hotel Plaza, the Spanish Steps, the Palazzo dei Congressi building and the Victor Emmanuel II Monument. Normally swarming with people, as the series was filmed in 202o and 2021 at the height of the pandemic, there were no tourists, “which made it feel all the more like we’d gone back in time,” Zaillian has said.
Where can I see the Caravaggios?
Tom Ripley is fascinated – obsessed – with Caravaggio and his gruesome paintings. Indeed, Zaillian draws intentional parallels between the two men in the series: “Caravaggio is another man who lived in Rome who murdered somebody and then was on the run for it for the rest of his life.” In the series we see Tom in front of several Caravaggios, which you can view today.
The first is in episode 2, when Dickie takes Tom to Pio Monte della Misericordia in Naples that houses The Seven Acts of Mercy (1607). Next, on Tom’s first day in Rome and now masquerading as Dickie, he visits the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, where a trio of Caravaggio paintings on the theme of Saint Matthew the Evangelist are installed in the Contarelli Chapel. Tom later pops into the famous Galleria Borghese to view David with the Head of Goliath (ca.1610).
Where was Tom’s palazzo in Venice?
The final location in Ripley is, fittingly, Venice – a city as beguiling and mysterious as the sinister storyline itself. As gondolas glide through the inky waterways past grandiose palazzos, we’re further drawn into Tom’s world of deceit and duplicity, not least when he meets the shady Reeves Minot (John Malkovich) and has coffee with him in the famous Piazza San Marco.
But it’s the faded grandeur of Tom’s Venetian palazzo, which steals the show. Palazzo Contarini Polignac – also known as Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo – was built in the 15th century and is one of the most important early renaissance buildings in the city. It is still privately owned and was restored in the early 2000s, its stucco walls, soaring ceilings, damask wall coverings, four-poster beds and private garden, making it a popular spot for weddings and events. There is also a contemporary art gallery, Magazzino, you can visit on the ground floor, as well as Edmond à Venise, a concept store at the entrance of the historic building.
Where can I buy the fragrance that Dickie buys Marge?
When Dickie sets out to buy Marge a bottle of perfume as a gift, there can only be one brand – Santa Maria Novella. It is, he tells Tom, her favourite. After all, as one of Italy’s (and the world’s) oldest and most revered beauty brands, it is only fitting. The Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, to give it its full name, has been an independent pharmacy since 1542, though it dates to the 13th century when Dominican friars founded a convent of the same name and started distilling their own rose water.
Dickie purchases Acqua di Colonia G. Ugo Stefani for Marge. We see it twice on screen – once at Dickie’s murder and, again, when Tom collects Dickie’s belongings on the beach. Though this fragrance has been discontinued, you can buy eau de cologne as well as perfumes, luxurious bath products and fragranced skin and hair care at their Florence flagship, and at stores across Europe and online.
Ripley is now streaming on Netflix
