My Brilliant Friend is undoubtedly one of the most followed TV series right now. For this reason Movery has decided to suggest a series of possible routes related to the places where the series has been shot. These routes are designed for the most loyal fans of My Brilliant Friend, but they will be suitable for anyone who wants to do some good film tourism while discovering more or less well-known corners of Campania.

The set in Caserta

The scenes that have been shot in Campania had as their main location a set located in Caserta, where the Rione Luzzatti di Gianturco neighbourhood was entirely rebuilt, precisely in the former Saint Gobain area. This set is currently the largest set in Europe, due to its six hectares of surface.

The landscapes of My Brilliant Friend

Rather than this huge set, however, the outdoor locations are certainly what is mostly to strike the viewer’s gaze. The blue of the skies and of the waters remain in the hearts of those who have never seen Naples, as well as awakening a melancholic feeling in those who know it well.

The 1950s setting certainly contributes to reinvigorating and reinforcing these nostalgic feelings.

What is certainly true is that these are places not to be missed if you want to visit Naples and its province: the TV series shows us some breathtaking views of Posillipo, Ischia, Amalfi, as well as all the lively colours, which are never the same at a second glance, of the historic centre of Naples.

The first route: Lenù in Naples with daddy

Here we suggest our first route set in the places where My Brilliant Friend has been shot. This route is linked to a particular moment of the first season, the first great discovery of the unknown for one of the two protagonists.

Movery will soon host detailed articles about all the points of interest touched by this route and by the other routes related to My Brilliant Friend. Now you can see below the detail of some points related to this route, read their history, learn more about their characteristics and try to insert them in your itinerary, thanks to our Create Trip feature.

We recommend wearing very comfortable shoes to take a walk through the centre of Naples. You can start your trip from the Napoli -Montesanto metro station, the stop of line 2 where Elena’s father suggests to get off.

The purpose of this stroll, in fact, is to show her how to reach the school. The high school that Elena attends, the Garibaldi classics high school, is located in Piazza Carlo III. However, the set used to shot the series is actually the state artistic high school.

Elena discovers the historic centre

This scene shows us Elena with her father, who seems to be a different man when seen in his workplace. We are seeing him in a new light, just like the city.

Elena’s father is a doorman in a building near Castel Nuovo, one of the main symbols of Naples. It is right here that he stops to tell his daughter, that he is carrying by the hand in the wide spaces of the historic centre amid the noise of the first cars:

“… it’s beautiful, sweetheart! There are two real males here in Naples: your dad and the one you’re seeing here.“

Elena’s father is referring precisely to Castel Nuovo, also known as Maschio Angioino (and maschio in italian means both “male” and “tower of a castle”).

Here we are looking with wonder at the young Lenù, small in front of the imposing castle, while she is discovering the bourgeois Naples in the 1950s.

Let’s accompany Lenuccia to the high school

After crossing Corso Garibaldi between Neo-Renaissance and Art Nouveau buildings, Lenù and her father arrive in Piazza Carlo III, where the Bourbon Hospice for the Poor stands. This is one of the largest monumental buildings in Europe.

After that, they continue on Via Foria, where they find the Botanical Garden of Naples.

They subsequently cross via Chiaia, via Filangieri, via dei Mille and piazza Amedeo, which are still today the streets where you can go luxury shopping in Naples.

The undisputed star of the stroll is however the Naples waterfront. With her father Lenuccia goes from via Caracciolo to Castel dell’Ovo where she finally sees the sea.

“It was very rough, thunderous, the wind took your breath away, glued your clothes on your body and lifted your hair from your forehead.”