“One glance, forever smitten”. Thus reads the slogan used in the nineties to promote tourism in the Province of Treviso which can just as aptly describe the Conegliano Valdobbiadene hills UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its myriad vistas of vineyard-embroidered hillsides, charming hamlets and ancient churches perched atop hills like guardians, along with the wealth of excursions immersed in nature and steeped in history are sure to captivate the hearts of even the most easily distracted of visitors. No surprise, then, that all the most important films shot in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene area have had the shared theme of love and romance, and not just in their storylines, but in the film titles as well. Our journey exploring romantic cinema settings in the hills starts with the film Mogliamante (Wifemistress). Released in 1977 and written by Rodolfo Sonego, it was the eighth film directed by Marco Vicario. It recounts the tempestuous relationship between a wine merchant with anarcho-socialist leanings (played by Marcello Mastroianni) and his wife (played by Laura Antonelli), the infidelities of the former and the desire for emancipation and freedom (including sexual) of the latter. The film takes place against the backdrop of a small Veneto hamlet. The location was actually the village of Cison di Valmarino, considered ideal for its old-world early 20th-century atmosphere, which reflected the period in which the film is set. Though not very successful in Italy, the film received much acclaim abroad – so much so that a remake was produced in the United States. The film’s screenwriter, Rodolfo Sonego, deserves a few words: originally from Belluno, his career was closely linked to that of the great Alberto Sordi – one of the fathers of Italian comedy for whom he wrote no fewer than 44 films – and many famous directors including Roberto Rossellini, Mario Monicelli, Dino Risi, Luigi Comencini and Vittorio De Sica. So taken was Sonego by this region that he bought a country villa in Borgo Anese near the village of San Pietro di Feletto to serve as a retreat toward the end of his career. In the 1980s the premises was frequented by a great many personalities from the world of entertainment, including Fellini and Mastroianni. To celebrate the hundredth anniversary of his birth, the local council organized the RodolfoSonego100 project comprising a series of exhibitions and meetings. At the same time, they also established the Rodolfo Sonego Award, which is presented annually to the best young screenwriters at the LagoFilmFest film festival.

Next we move on towards Vittorio Veneto where some of the most important scenes in the film In Love and War were shot. Released in 1996, the film was directed by the English director Richard Attenborough and starred Sandra Bullock and Chris O’Donnell. Filmed in Venice, Bassano del Grappa and Vittorio Veneto, the film is set in the Great War and tells the story of how an eighteen-year-old Ernest Hemingway decides to enlist as a volunteer on the Italian front. The future writer is seriously injured during a battle and taken to hospital, where he is cared for by a beautiful nurse named Agnes von Kurowsky who is a few years older than him. They develop a deep friendship and fall in love, feelings that Hemingway would later write about in his best-selling novel A Farewell to Arms. Many of the scenes are filmed along the streets of the historic centre of Serravalle, the former hospital (not yet renovated at the time), and the promenade that runs along the Meschio river. Decidedly more modern feelings and atmospheres are portrayed in the 2009 film Dieci Inverni (Ten Winters), which was Valerio Mieli’s directorial debut. The film, which starts in Venice in the winter of 1999, is a happy-ever-after story describing the ups and downs of the ten-year romance of two eighteen-year-olds: Camilla (Isabella Ragonese) and Silvestro (Michele Riondino) as they split up and get back together. The film, which takes place entirely in winter, is set among the lagoons of Venice, Moscow and the Conegliano Valdobbiadene area. The location chosen for the scenes where Camilla returns to her parents’ farm is Zuel di Qua, a small hamlet close to the village of Cison di Val Marino. The film, which premiered at the Venice Biennale Film Festival, also had the support of the Consortium of Producers of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco. A fun fact: to celebrate the film, an original cocktail was created which uses Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. and Vodka – the drinks which best symbolise Veneto and Moscow, the two areas the film was shot in. Our final location is Piazza Cima in Conegliano, where several scenes from the film L’Amore Necessario (Necessary Love) were shot. Directed by Fabio Carpi, the film stars Marie-Christine Barrault and Ben Kingsley and explores the relationship crisis of an ageing couple, inspired by the relationship between Jean-Paul Sartre and Simon de Beauvoir. They meet a pair of young newlyweds and, envious of their innocence, devise a plan to scupper their relationship, but their scheme soon backfires. With this, our narration comes full circle as we show how, when we reveal our innermost feelings of love, we must inevitably confront emotions that are their.

Article originally published in Visit Conegliano Valdobbiadene magazine Fall Winter 2024. The entire magazine is available here.