Where were the Spaghetti westerns filmed?

Coined by international critics in response to Sergio Leone's famous filmmaking style, the "Spaghetti Western" denotes a certain type of European movie production. The description became popular in the mid-1960s in the wake of Leone's classic Dollars Trilogy, although the origins of the form can be traced to the beginning of the decade. Spaghetti Westerns have influenced past filmmakers and have inspired modern-day directors like Quentin Tarantino, The Coen Brothers, and others.

Although "Spaghetti Western" suggests Italian origins and filming locations, the distinct brand of movie Western often incorporates international production alongside Spain and other European nations. Moreover, despite the open landscapes and sprawling outdoor photography, many Spaghetti Westerns were filmed on the same studio back lot. With the recent news that Leone's A Fistful of Dollars is poised for a remake, a look back at the primary Spaghetti Western filming locations is in order.

[Elios Studios]

 Fans of Spaghetti Westerns released between 1964 and 1978 may be surprised to learn that many productions were filmed on a studio back lot. In addition to various locations throughout Italy and Europe, hundreds of movies were filmed in Rome's Cinecitta Studios. While the studio is most associated with arthouse director Federico Fellini, Leone filmed several films at Cinecitta, including the landmark Western The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly.

[Cave town set]

 Aside from Cinecitta Studios, most Spaghetti Westerns were filmed on location in Southern Italy and Spain. Those set in the American Southwest and Northern Mexico required large desert environments and wide-open areas. As such, filming often occurred in the Tabernas Desert in the Almeria province in southwest Spain. Nearby, the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park was used for its pristine beaches. The Almeria Province also houses former movie sets used for Spaghetti Westerns that have been turned into tourist theme parks, such as Mini Hollywood, Texas Hollywood, and Western Leone.

[Cinecitta Studios]

Traveling north, additional filming locations for many Spaghetti Westerns occurred in Valle de Treja Park between Rome and Viterbo, the cavernous ruins of Camerata Nuova and Camposecco. Additional filming occurred in Castelluccio, Gran Sasso Mountain, Sardinia, and Tivoli to capture the country's hills and mountains. Elsewhere, instrumental Spaghetti Western directors like Sergio Corbucci often filmed at Elios Film Studios in Rome, including Minnesota Clay and Django, two famous examples of the subgenre. Corbucci and Leone relied on Production Designer Carlo Simi to refurbish towns and villages on set and location.

[Fort Bravo/Texas Hollywood]

[Oasys/Mini Hollywood]