From the sovereign heights of San Marino, the JMA Films scout team descended into the historic cradle of the Renaissance: Florence and the surrounding Tuscan countryside. This dual location provides a rich tapestry of settings, from intensely human-scale urban history to sweeping, world-famous pastoral beauty.
Florence: The Art of the Hidden City
In Florence, our focus was on securing access to unique locations that offer depth beyond the familiar tourist paths:
- Private Palaces and Hidden Gardens: We explored venues like the Boboli Gardens and the less-crowded Villa Bardini to identify sites that showcase Renaissance grandeur without the logistical nightmare of the main squares.
- Historical Depth: We scouted locations tied to lesser-known aspects of Florentine history—from Medici intrigue in the Oltrarno district to ancient monasteries like the Badia Fiorentina, seeking atmospheric backdrops perfect for a high-end documentary series.
The Tuscan Countryside: Cinematic Isolation
The second phase involved the iconic Tuscan landscape, aiming to capture its dramatic, timeless aesthetic for our wider production needs:
- Historic Villas as Hubs: We identified magnificent, secluded estates near Florence, like the Dimora Ghirlandaio (a historical home of the Ghirlandaio family), which can serve as both a central filming location and a full-service production base.
- The Chianti Region: Scouting the rolling vineyards and cypress-lined roads of the Chianti Classico trail provided incredible visual assets that communicate timeless elegance and deep, generational tradition.
This strategic blend of unparalleled artistic history in the city and sweeping, authentic landscapes in the country ensures that our next slate of projects will be visually spectacular and deeply rooted in European culture.
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We paid tribute to the master Zeffirelli at the Franco Zeffirelli Foundation – Museo Franco Zeffirelli in Florence, where his creative genius across theatre, opera, and cinema is preserved and celebrated.
The Museum, located in the historic San Firenze Complex, is a comprehensive retrospective of his 70-year career, featuring:
- Over 250 works including original set design sketches, drawings, and exquisite costume designs.
- Dedicated rooms that showcase his legendary work in Opera (including productions with Maria Callas), Drama Theatre (especially his Shakespearean adaptations like Romeo and Juliet), and Cinema.
- A special space for the unfinished film adaptation project of Dante’s Inferno.
- The Foundation also houses an International School for the Performing Arts and regularly hosts concerts, lectures, and temporary exhibitions.”
You can find the museum at Piazza di S. Firenze, 5, 50122 Firenze FI, Italia.
What’s Next?
The journey continues as we head to our next major stop! Stay tuned.