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Il Padrino
 Many modern visitors first impressions of Sicily are those portrayed in Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather Trilogy, the tale of the Corleone mafia family’s struggle to maintain it’s dominance over the criminal underworld in America through the generations. Based on Mario Puzo’s novel of the same name the first two films won numerous accolades in the 1970’s, including Academy Awards for Best Picture, and for its stars Marlon Brando and Robert DeNiro. They are in some critic’s opinions amongst the best films of all time.
Puzo was inspired by real events in Sicily but as is often the case the reality was less glamorous than the myth. Corleone was for many years a Mafia stronghold just outside Palermo; the town however was not used as a location in the films. It was deemed far too developed to appear authentic and is in fact a busy, some say ugly farming town. However Al Pacino who starred in all three films has ancestors who originate from Corleone which is an interesting coincidence and one of the reasons why he was deemed perfect for the part of Michael in the films.
 Today “Godfather Tours” visit the real locations used in the film, buffs of the movies will recognise Savoca, a pretty hillside town set on the edge of the Peloritani range of mountains on the east coast of Sicily. This was used in many of the scenes from the bar Vitele where they sit on the terrace and the many visitors who re create this scene today.
Many of the church scenes here were captured on film and finally the wedding march down through the streets of Savoca.
The village of Forza d’Agro which has great views over Messina and the bay of Taormina features in the second film, when the young boy Vito is smuggled away from Don Ciccio’s henchmen. Finally the location everyone remembers is that featured in the final scene of the third of the trilogy, on the steps of Teatro Massimo in Palermo Michael’s family are set upon by heavy gun fire and his daughter is sadly killed.
The music for the film was provided by the Sicilian composer Nino Rota and he won an Academy Award for his contribution in “The Godfather Part 2”. The music can be found for sale through many tourist shops on the Island.
Of course today the films are seen through the eyes of the next generations who may just be making the same pilgrimage as we have to Sicily to once again enjoy the delights of these hidden gems.
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