to recreate the vatican in conclave the production design team built a studio set in cinecittà and put together a mosaic of existing location mostly around the city of rome but also in caserta, with this thread i will try to collect all the locations used in the film
and if anyone is planning a trip to italy and wants to explore the locations in which they filmed conclave i think this thread could be useful ❤️
1. PALAZZO DEL COMMENDATORE AT THE OLD HOSPITAL OF SANTO SPIRITO it's the courtyard we see when the cardinals arrive and when they are spotted taking a smoke break before the conclave but also in other exterior scenes set both on the patio and the loggia on the main floor
the palazzo was built during the pontificate of pope pius v, and designed by the architect giovanni lippi, it's an extension of the arcispedale di santo spirito, the oldest hospital in europe
• close to the vatican, it's located in borgo santo spirito, 3 (roma) • the courtyard should be available to visit for free when the offices are open: mon-fri - 7.30.am-6.00pm and sat - 7.30am-12.00pm 📌 https://g.co/kgs/jVDMQ2o ℹ️ https://www.turismoroma.it/en/...
2. PALAZZO BARBERINI we see the salone di pietro da cortona, great hall of the palazzo barberini, when the cardinals listen to lawrence's homily
since the 1620s, the palazzo was the home of the barberini family, headed by maffeo barberini, who became pope, as urban viii; in 1953 it became a museum, part of the national galleries of ancient art with palazzo corsini
• located in the city centre, via delle quattro fontane, 13 (roma) • the museum's collection presents the most representative pictorial schools from the 13th to the 18th century, info & tickets on their website 📌 http://barberinicorsini.org ℹ️ http://g.co/kgs/wDE7VpQ
3. MUSEO NAZIONALE ETRUSCO AT VILLA GIULIA the gardens of villa giulia are the setting for every turtle pond scene we see in the film: when benítez and thomas meet on the first night of the conclave and also by the end of the film when lawrence walks the turtle back to the pond
built by pope julius iii around 1550, villa giulia is divided into two courtyards separated by a nymphaeum; destined as a museum since 1889, it is today one of the most representative museums of etruscan art
• located near villa borghese, in piazzale villa giulia, 9 • the nymphaeum is not always open so i raccomend to check the websites for the info & tickets 📌 http://g.co/kgs/muccTwv ℹ️ http://museoetru.it
4. VILLA MEDICI the gardens are featured in conclave when bellini apologises to lawrence and when we see the cardinals walking with the umbrellas
built in the mid-16th century, it was designed by the architect giovanni lippi; cardinal ferdinando de medici bought it in 1576 to keep his collection of artworks; since the beginning of the 19th century, the building has been the seat of the french academy
• located on the panoramic pincio hill, in viale della trinità dei monti, 1 (roma) • info to visit the villa and the gardens can be found on their website 📌 http://g.co/kgs/te5Dk8c ℹ️ http://villamedici.it/it/
5. MUSEO DELLA CIVILTÀ ROMANA the white pillared exteriors of the museum is featured in a scene after the explosion and also in a few of the exteriors scenes in which we see the cardinals taking the bus or the nuns arriving at the conclave
located in the eur district, built during the fascit dictatorial regime, with its clean lines and imposing buildings eur was also an inspiration for the interiors of casa santa marta, serving as a contrast with the other ornate and gilded spaces of the vatican
this is the only museum in the world to give a complete overview of ancient roman civilization, it was also featured in spectre (2015, directed by sam mendes) and equilibrium (2002, directed by kurt wimmer)
• located in the eur district, piazza giovanni agnelli, 10 (roma) • the museum is temporarily closed but it should be possible to visit the exteriors 📌 https://g.co/kgs/NwjSGNc ℹ️ https://www.museociviltaromana...
6. PALAZZO DEI CONGRESSI the shiluetted staircase against the white wall can be spotted when we see the cardinals going for the final vote, meanwhile the auditorium is featured when liberals discuss their strategy but also when all the cardinals are reunited after the explosion
designed in the late 30s by the architect adalberto libera, it represents a significant example of rationalist architecture influenced by a monumental neo-classical taste; today the palazzo is used for fairs, congresses, conferences and exhibitions
• located in the eur district and very close to the museo della civiltà romana in piazza john kennedy, 1 (roma) • i couldn't find any info if it's possible to visit or book a visit 📌 https://g.co/kgs/syEUUoV ℹ️ https://romaconventioncenter.i...
7. CARLO FORLANINI HOSPITAL it's the atrium in which we see the nuns when they arrive for the conclave and where lawrence stands alone right before they get locked up
founded in the 1920s to treat tuberculosis patients and finally opened in 1934, it was closed down in 2015 and declared an asset unavailable for sale in 2017; it's currently abbandoned it used as a location for some italian productions
• located in piazza carlo forlanini, 1 (roma) • i couldn't find any info if it's possible to visit or book a visit 📌 https://g.co/kgs/vdgKN3F ℹ️ https://fondoambiente.it/luogh...
8. REGGIA DI CASERTA when lawrence and o'malley chat in the vatican corridors they are actually walking in the reggia di caserta
built in 1752 for king charles iii of naples and designed by the architect luigi vanvitelli to testify the greatness and power of the bourbon kingdom
it was also the set for mission impossible iii, angels and demons, the new popes, star wars, kaos, the great, l'amica geniale and so many more films and tv shows
• in the heart of the city of caserta, on their website there is a full section with infos on how to reach the palace • it's also possible to book a visit on their website 📌 https://g.co/kgs/Haca6qP ℹ️ https://reggiadicaserta.cultur...
9. UNIDENTIFIED LOCATIONS IN ROME i will try to find more about these but as far as i know the workaday canteen we see in the film belongs to one of rome’s military academies and the room of tears is an old farmhouse and it was painted in red
10. CINECITTÀ the casa santa marta long corridor and the cardinal private quarters were built in one of the studios in cinecittà next to a pre-existing set for the cappella sistina that was adjusted for the film
the long corridor is dark and straight with a deep red carpet, heavy marble walls and a low ceiling and neon light, just like the rooms they were designed as an high contrast with the ornate cappella sistina and the other gilded spaces in the vatican
