You can rent the Italian property in Netflix’s La Dolce Villa
Ever dream of buying and renovating an Italian home with a €1 price tag? Well, Netflix's La Dolce Villa romanticises that experience. The film isn’t exactly realistic when it comes to renovating a crumbling Italian villa, but filming did take place in various parts of Italy – and you can even stay at the location that portrays the property's exterior.
La Dolce Villa tells the story of successful businessman Eric Field (Scandal star Scott Foley) who travels to Italy to stop his daydreaming daughter Olivia (Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin star Maia Reficco) from restoring a crumbling Tuscan villa. But the beauty, magic and romance of Italy soon change Eric's plans.
Situated in eastern Lazio, which is roughly a half hour outside Rome, the breathtaking property that depicts the villa’s facade in the film is known as Il Torrino dei Gelsi. On the more than 10-hectare estate, there’s a main farmhouse with an adjoining tower dating back to the early 12th century. The farmhouse has undergone careful restoration, but it still retains the original stone walls, handmade tiles, beamed ceilings, and terracotta flooring.
Visitors can stay in one of three charming apartments available to rent with similar original details, from vaulted ceilings to period furnishings. Some apartments also include mini kitchens and double bedrooms for extra comfort. Since the idyllic surroundings are made up of centuries-old mulberry trees, olive trees, and green hills, it presents a satisfying view.
The Roman countryside escape also has a multifunctional annexe, known as Chalet del Baco, ideal for events like weddings, business meetings and family gatherings. There’s a large, charming wrought iron gazebo with seating for 200 people and an in-house kitchen and staff to make event planning seamless. The catering uses 'only high-quality, zero-mile products in full respect of the traditions linked to our land,' according to its website.
Along with Il Torrino dei Gelsi, filming for La Dolce Villa also took place in Rome at Cinecittá Studios, where the villa interiors were built on a soundstage, and in Tuscany.
The film highlights the real-life €1 house initiative in Italy. In recent years, several small Italian towns have hit the headlines for selling off vacant, dilapidated houses for just €1 to attract new residents to underpopulated regions.
But it's not just Netflix bringing this story to the big screen. In 2023, popular BBC series, Amanda and Alan: The Italian Job, followed Amanda Holden and Alan Carr as they transformed a crumbling €1 property in the medieval town of Salemi, Sicily, to help restore the local community. They returned for a second series, restoring a bargain €1 house in rural Tuscany. The current third series has seen the duo turn their attention to transforming a rambling, rundown property in the province of Andalusia, Spain.
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