Secret of Santa Vittoria

Secret of Santa Vittoria, with Anthony Quinn, Anna Magnani and Hardy Kreuger, filmed on location in Anticoli Corrado, Lazio, Italy, a bit to the north east of Rome. Wonderful period film full of shouting over-acting Italians, with the whole village acting as extras. The Germans; Hardy Kreuger was the commander, or even the Kommandante; a small group of retreating Axis forces after the invasion of Italy by the Allies, and the fall and execution of Mussolini.

Filmed, it would appear, entirely in the main square of Anicoli Corrado, this location provides the ideal reason for an outing from Rome, use the film as an excuse for a bit of film induced tourism and escape the crowds in the Vatican, Michaelangelo, Don Camillo and the Da Vinci Code, the mobs around Piazza Navona, Dolce Vita, the multitudes on the Spanish Steps, Roman Holiday, Talented Mr Ripley, Blue Murder at St Trinians and many others.

Head east for a taste of destination marketing, which was a term invented long after the film was made, for the art or science of creating reasons why tourists and travellers would visit a specific location, or destination. Make the film and the local community benefits from the influx of the film’s technicians, actors, and producers, and once the film is made, if the world is informed about its locations, then the ongoing trickle of tourists for the next hundred years will bring in a steady stream of cash to local businesses.