Nostalgia (1983) – Filming Locations
Drama / Romance · Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky · Starring Oleg Yankovskiy, Domiziana Giordano
Russian poet Andrei Gorchakov journeys through Italy with his interpreter Eugenia to research the life of an 18th-century Russian composer who once lived abroad. Isolated and consumed by an unrelenting longing for his homeland, Andrei becomes drawn to Domenico, a radical mystic obsessed with spiritual redemption. Through austere imagery and extended temporal rhythms, Tarkovsky examines exile, memory, and the profound melancholy of being unable to belong fully to either place or language.
Where was Nostalgia filmed?
- Rome, Italy, Rome – Andrei walks through Rome's streets, experiencing the city's layered history and spiritual atmosphere. Rome serves as the primary setting for the protagonist's spiritual and philosophical journey through Western culture and memory
- Bagno Vignoni, Italy, Bagno Vignoni – Tarkovsky's meditative sequences of thermal waters and the Renaissance village square reflecting on time and healing. The steaming Renaissance pools and isolated Tuscan village embody Tarkovsky's meditation on spiritual renewal and the passage of time
- Florence, Italy, Florence – Andrei explores Florence's artistic heritage and Renaissance architecture during his existential wanderings. The cradle of the Renaissance provides visual and thematic anchors for Tarkovsky's exploration of Western artistic and cultural memory
- Lake Bolsena, Italy, Bolsena – Peaceful lakeside scenes reflecting Tarkovsky's contemplative visual style and spiritual questioning. The serene volcanic lake landscape provides a space for introspection, central to Tarkovsky's slow cinema approach