Anthony Minghella's 1999 thriller was shot on real Italian ground, from the islands of Ischia and Procida to Rome, Venice and Palermo.
The Talented Mr. Ripley was mainly filmed on location in Italy. The fictional Mongibello was built from locations on Ischia and Procida, and other scenes were shot in Rome, Venice, Anzio, Palermo, Positano and Naples. The opening New York scenes were filmed in Manhattan, including a Broadway theater and a Tribeca street. Principal photography ran from August 10 to December 7, 1998.
Anthony Minghella's adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel swapped soundstages for the real Mediterranean. Almost everything that looks Italian on screen is Italian: the beaches, the piazzas, the churches and the grand hotels exist and can be visited today, many of them free to walk through.
The film's fictional seaside village of Mongibello is the cleverest trick. It does not exist. The production combined two islands in the Bay of Naples, Ischia and Procida, into one imaginary town, then moved the action through Rome, Venice and Sicily as Tom Ripley's deceptions deepen.
| Location | Where | What was filmed | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ischia Ponte | Ischia, Italy | Tom Ripley arrives in 'Mongibello' by bus; Castello Aragonese backdrop | Free to see |
| Bagno Antonio | Ischia, Italy | Tom first meets Dickie and Marge on the beach | Free to see |
| Via San Rocco, Corricella | Procida, Italy | Dickie rides scooter and meets Silvana; Tom spies | Free to see |
| Piazza dei Martiri | Procida, Italy | Town square of 'Mongibello' where Dickie refuses to return to NY | Free to see |
| Piazza Navona | Rome, Italy | Freddie Miles arrives; Tom and Dickie scenes; later with Meredith | Free to see |
| St. Regis Rome (Grand Hotel) | Rome, Italy | Ripley's Roman hotel exterior and some interiors | Ticketed |
| Piazza di Spagna / Spanish Steps | Rome, Italy | Cafe scene and street scenes near Spanish Steps | Free to see |
| Anzio seafront / Paradiso sul Mare | Anzio, Italy | 'San Remo' jazz festival beach and boat scenes | Free to see |
| Cafe Florian | Venice, Italy | Marge voices suspicions about Dickie's disappearance | Free to see |
| Westin Europa & Regina | Venice, Italy | Mr. Greenleaf's hotel in Venice | Ticketed |
| Chiesa della Martorana | Palermo, Italy | 'Venetian' church where Peter rehearses Stabat Mater | Free to see |
| Lyceum Theatre | New York, United States | Tom works as pianist at opening | Ticketed |
| Franklin Place, Tribeca | New York, United States | Exterior of Tom Ripley's basement apartment | Free to see |
| Piazza Mattei / Fontana delle Tartarughe | Rome, Italy | Freddie's corpse carried to car near Turtle Fountain | Free to see |
14 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Campania, Ischia, Italy Free to see
Filmed here: Tom Ripley arrives in 'Mongibello' by bus; Castello Aragonese backdrop
Tom arrives in Mongibello by bus here, with the Castello Aragonese looming in the background of several shots. Ischia Ponte remains a lively public square and waterfront, easily reached by ferry from Naples. It is one of the island's most popular spots, so arrive early in the day for photographs that match the film's empty morning streets.
Campania, Ischia, Italy Free to see
Filmed here: Tom first meets Dickie and Marge on the beach
This is the beach where Tom first meets Dickie and Marge, lounging under umbrellas in the 1950s sun. It sits on a private beach club stretch just beside Ischia Ponte, but the area is accessible to visitors. Combining the two Mongibello anchors on foot takes only a few minutes along the waterfront.
Campania, Procida, Italy Free to see
Filmed here: Dickie rides scooter and meets Silvana; Tom spies
Dickie rides his scooter down this steep cobbled street in the fishing village of Corricella, meeting Silvana while Tom watches from the shadows. The lane climbs from the pastel harbour up toward the island's main square. Ferries connect Procida from both Naples and Ischia, making an island pairing easy in a single trip.
Campania, Procida, Italy Free to see
Filmed here: Town square of 'Mongibello' where Dickie refuses to return to NY
At the top of Via San Rocco lies the square used as the heart of Mongibello, where Dickie refuses to return to New York. Today it is a lively square with a church at its centre, and it doubles as the natural finish to a walk up from Corricella. Procida is small, so nothing on the island requires more than a short walk.
Lazio, Rome, Italy Free to see
Filmed here: Freddie Miles arrives; Tom and Dickie scenes; later with Meredith
Rome's famous baroque piazza appears repeatedly: Freddie Miles arrives here, Tom and Dickie share scenes in the square, and Tom later returns with Meredith. It is a public piazza, always open, and a short walk from other city locations used in the film. Street artists and cafes now fill the space where the production rolled cameras.
Lazio, Rome, Italy Ticketed
Filmed here: Ripley's Roman hotel exterior and some interiors
The St. Regis stands in for Ripley's Roman hotel, with both exterior and some interiors used in the film. It remains a working luxury hotel, so access comes with a stay or a visit to the public areas for a drink. The location pairs naturally with the Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona on a walking route through the historic centre.
Lazio, Rome, Italy Free to see
Filmed here: Cafe scene and street scenes near Spanish Steps
A cafe scene and surrounding street scenes were filmed around the Spanish Steps, capturing the Rome that Dickie and Tom move through. The steps and piazza are a major tourist site and always accessible. Expect crowds at almost any hour; the early morning offers the closest thing to the film's calmer atmosphere.
Lazio, Anzio, Italy Free to see
Filmed here: 'San Remo' jazz festival beach and boat scenes
The San Remo jazz festival beach and boat scenes were shot here, on the coast near Rome rather than the real San Remo. The public beach and promenade remain open to all, and the port area is visitable. Anzio is a short trip from Rome, which is precisely why the production chose it over travelling to the Ligurian coast.
Veneto, Venice, Italy Free to see
Filmed here: Marge voices suspicions about Dickie's disappearance
In Venice, Marge voices her suspicions about Dickie's disappearance inside this historic cafe in Piazza San Marco. It is open to the public, and coffee here costs accordingly, but the interiors are the film's actual setting. It sits within sight of other Grand Canal locations used in the Venice sequences.
Veneto, Venice, Italy Ticketed
Filmed here: Mr. Greenleaf's hotel in Venice
Mr. Greenleaf's Venetian hotel is the Westin Europa and Regina on the Grand Canal. As a luxury hotel, public areas are accessible and the full experience comes with booking a stay. Its position along the canal makes it a short walk from Piazza San Marco and Caffe Florian, grouping the Venice sites neatly together.
Sicily, Palermo, Italy Free to see
Filmed here: 'Venetian' church where Peter rehearses Stabat Mater
Palermo's Martorana church plays a Venetian church where Peter rehearses the Stabat Mater. The production used its Byzantine mosaics as a stand-in for Venice. The church is open to visitors and the mosaics are fully visible, making it one of the few film locations in Sicily and a reason in itself to visit Palermo.
New York, United States Ticketed
Filmed here: Tom works as pianist at opening
The film opens with Tom working as a pianist in a Broadway house, shot at the Lyceum Theatre. It remains an active Broadway theater, so the way inside is a ticket to whatever show is playing. Film fans can admire the exterior at any time in the theater district.
New York, United States Free to see
Filmed here: Exterior of Tom Ripley's basement apartment
The exterior of Tom Ripley's basement apartment sits on this public street in Tribeca. There is no interior access, since the building is private, but the street itself is freely walkable. It pairs easily with a wider Tribeca or Lower Manhattan wander and shows the shabby starting point of Tom's ascent.
Lazio, Rome, Italy Free to see
Filmed here: Freddie's corpse carried to car near Turtle Fountain
One of the film's darker moments, Freddie's corpse being carried to a car, plays out beside the Turtle Fountain in this small square in Rome's Jewish Ghetto. The piazza is public and always accessible. It lies within walking distance of Piazza Navona, so a central Rome route can cover most of the film's city locations.
The story is set in 1950s New York and Italy, with the fictional fishing village of Mongibello on the Bay of Naples, plus Rome, Venice and San Remo. The production filmed at real Italian locations matching the settings, with a few substitutions. Mongibello was assembled from Ischia and Procida. The San Remo jazz festival scenes were shot in Anzio near Rome, and the Vesuvio nightclub scene was filmed at Caffe Latino in Rome rather than Naples.
Guided options make sense in Rome, where several filming locations cluster within walking distance of each other. One available tour covers movie locations in the historic centre with film clips played on screen at each stop, including Piazza del Popolo and surrounding streets.
Rome: Movie Locations Walking Tour with Film Clips
From $55.17 per person, this walking tour visits central Rome film locations with movie clips shown at each stop, rated 4.7 from 4 reviews.
No. The fictional village was created by combining locations on Ischia and Procida, two islands in the Bay of Naples reachable by ferry from Naples. Ischia Ponte, the beach at Bagno Antonio, Corricella and Piazza dei Martiri together form the Mongibello seen on screen.
No. The jazz festival beach and boat scenes were shot on the seafront at Anzio, near Rome. The Vesuvio nightclub scene was likewise relocated, filmed at Caffe Latino in Rome rather than Naples.
Principal photography ran from August 10 to December 7, 1998. The film was released in 1999.
Yes, with conditions. The St. Regis Rome and the Westin Europa and Regina in Venice are working luxury hotels, so public areas are accessible and full access comes with a stay or a drink at the bar. Caffe Florian in Venice is open to anyone for coffee.
Most of them. The piazzas in Rome and Procida, the beaches at Ischia and Anzio, the street in Tribeca and the church in Palermo are all public. The Lyceum Theatre requires a show ticket, and the two hotels expect guests or paying visitors.
Both islands are served by ferries from Naples, and Procida also has ferry connections from Ischia. Ischia Ponte, Bagno Antonio, Corricella and Piazza dei Martiri are all within easy walking distance once ashore.
Few films leave behind such a visitable trail. A single trip to the Bay of Naples covers Mongibello on two islands, a day in Rome links four or five locations on foot, and Venice and Palermo each add a memorable interior. Travellers who want a guide can start with the Rome film locations walk, then follow Tom Ripley's route south to the islands where it all begins.
Before You Go
The tours travellers book most for The Talented Mr. Ripley.
