Aman Goyal
Loosely inspired by the eponymous 14th-century short stories by Giovanni Boccaccio, ‘The Decameron’ is a sex comedy disguised as a period soap. Set around the time when a bubonic plague pandemic terrorizes Europe in the Late Middle Ages, the Netflix series follows a group of mischievous elites who find shelter at a luxurious villa along with their loyal servants. As they wait for the disease to perish from afar, the supposed quarantine turns into a vacation frenzy filled with activities, casual sexual encounters, and dramatic interpersonal relationships.
Pampinea (Zosia Mamet), the soon-to-be lady of the villa who is hopeful but lacking in self-awareness, along with fellow lodgers, embarks on a steamy coming-of-age journey to discover their hidden desires. However, their priorities are significantly affected when the external crisis escalates through food shortages, leading to rich-class struggles. As societal rules wear thin, what starts as a wine-soaked sex romp descends into a race for survival. Created by Kathleen Jordan, ‘The Decameron’ uses masterful production design and immersive locations to fully recreate the excitement, fear, and desires of its characters.
The Decameron Filming Locations
‘The Decameron’ is set in 1348, when the Black Death, one of the most disastrous pandemics in human history, terrorizes Florence, Italy. Most of the plot unfolds at the fictional Villa Santa and the hills of the Tuscany region. To achieve maximum accuracy, the crew shuffles between a variety of locations across central Italy. In addition to Florence and fellow cities in Tuscany, the Lazio region hosts shooting extensively, with Rome and Viterbo standing out as primary filming phrases. Pre-production for the first season began at the end of 2022 and was quickly followed by the principal photography, which commenced on January 10, 2023, and concluded in June of that year.
Rome, Italy
‘The Decameron’ is extensively shot in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital. One of the top-tier tourist spots in the world, the city serves as the capital of both Italy and the Lazio region. A major portion of filming takes place at Cinecittà Studios. Located at Via Tuscolana, 1055, 00173 Roma RM, Cinecittà is the largest film and television studio in Europe, as well as one of the oldest. Utilizing the enormous area, the interiors of the fictional Villa Santa require three distinct portions of the villa set, spread across Stages 5, 4, and 11.
Set in medieval times, particularly in the mid-fourteenth century, it obtains the makeover of authentic Italian architecture through exceptional work by the crew. Through thorough research, the production designer Luca Tranchino, along with the art direction team, Leonardo Grillo, Daniela Giovannoni, Andrea De Antoniis, and Giulia Chiara Crugnola, smoothly places the steamy narrative tone seven centuries ago. The team constructs sets that accurately mimic the exterior shots recorded at various historical sites.
Viterbo, Italy
Italy’s Lazio region primarily hosts the shooting of ‘The Decameron.’ The province of Viterbo, in particular, with its gardens, grasslands, and rural surroundings, remains the most visited area outside the studio walls in Rome. Castello Ruspoli, located at Via dell’Uliveto, 200, 01039 in the municipality of Vignanello, appears as the primary location where the characters arrive to quarantine.
Though the historically rich landmark is a 16th-century castle, the production team successfully portrays the building as 14th-century Florence by immersing it into the rest of the show’s architecture with no traces leading to inaccuracies. This masking is achieved by concealing several modern features such as canals, cables, windows, and flues. After ‘Borgia,’ ‘The Decameron’ is only the second instance when a high-profile international venture is entirely set in the prestigious Castle Ruspoli.
Additionally, the San Pellegrino quarter at Via S. Pellegrino, 77-93, 01100, is similarly disguised into a historical backdrop to film numerous sequences involving a peek into the comfortable life inside the palace. In an interview with Tudum by Netflix, actress Jessica Plummer, who plays Filomena, one of the higher noble class citizens, compared the show’s narrative style to reality shows. Emphasizing the storytelling angle between the source material and the show, she said, “Think, like, ‘Love Island,’ but back in the day. A lot of drama, a lot of sex, a lot of, yeah, craziness.”
Other Filming Locations in Italy
Additional filming for ‘The Decameron’ takes place across many locations outside the Lazio region and its Viterbo province. One of these areas is the Tuscany region, home to the city of Florence and the actual setting of ‘The Decameron,’ which is briefly recorded. The city, visited by millions of tourists every year for its stunning views, has also hosted other historical dramas in the past, such as ‘Much Ado About Nothing,’ ‘Medici,’ and ‘Victoria & Abdul.’
The stone-built arch bridge over the River Arno makes an appearance. Located at Via Sette Ponti, 52100 in Tuscany region’s Arezzo province, the origins of this bridge and its construction date back to the mid to late 13th century, only a few decades before the events depicted in the show. The first season of ‘The Decameron’ also gains significant benefits from Italy’s tax incentives, which provide up to 40% of eligible expenses in the country to be refunded.
In an interview, creator Kathleen Jordan cited the reason behind possible historical inaccuracies as a means to create a narrative that felt a little bit more diverse by modern standards. “A world that felt a little bit more universal so that we could all see ourselves in the story a little bit easier,” she said, describing her vision. “I think an Italian medievalist will be disappointed if they come to this show expecting to see their favorite ‘Decameron’ stories depicted.”
Read More: The Decameron: 10 Similar Comedy Shows You Should Watch
