Don Camillo

Date: 1952
Director: Julien Duvivier, Mario Camerini, Terence Hill
Production Company: Produzione Film Giuseppe Amato / Rizzoli - Amato / Francinex / Francoriz Production / Palma Films

Stars: Fernandel, Gino Cervi, Terence Hill
Location(s): Brescello, Boretto, Gualtieri, Pomponesco, Emilia-Romagna and Lombardia, the Vatican, Roma, Italy

Region(s):

Storyline:

An ongoing “war” between the Communist mayor and the Catholic priest, humour, pathos, and reality combine with human emotions to make the first five films world classics. JT

Additional Information:

A series – Don Camillo (1952) / Il Ritorno di Don Camillo (1953) / Don Camillo e il Onorevole Peppone (1955) / Don Camillo Monsignore?ma non troppo (1961) / Il Compagno Don Camillo (1965) all with Fernandel and Gino Cervi. Don Camillo e il Giovane d’Oggi (1972) was made with different a cast, and another, the World of Don Camillo was made in 1983 by and with Terence Hill.
The titles varied considerably throughout the world, but the original, The Little World of Don Camillo is probably the best known title in English. The Return of Don Camillo, Don Camillo in Moscow / Comrade Don Camillo were some alternative titles.
A dozen episodes of the Little World of Don Camillo were presented by the BBC in 1981.

The town of Brescello is the place to start, with a wonderful museum, and speak with Sig.ra Valeria, who has excellent English. The museum must be unique, most film/movie museums are just that, collections of movie and film related ephemera, this museum must be the only one in the world that concentrates solely and specifically on one small series of five films, and, through the enthusiasm of the town and its officers more than 30,000 visitors a year arrive to celebrate the memory of Don Camillo and his creator Giovanini Guareschi.
Most of the shops, bars, restaurants and hotels bear the names of Don Camillo and or Peppone. The main square of the town has statues of the two protagonists and the secondary piazza was the site used as the Russian village in Comrade Don Camillo. And for the Terrene Hill production the locations used included Correggioverde, Dosolo, San Benedetto Po, Torre d’Oglio, Viadana, Mantua, Lombardia, and Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
Dates of productions: 1952 – 1983.
Future grabs and stills are to be pulled by the officers and staff of the commune of Brescello, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
All photos on site have been taken from brochures or postcards produced by the Commune of Brescello / Boretto, and the website www.terencehill.com, who hold the copyright to the images. These prints will be substituted in time when better quality replacements are received from the Commune, Museum, and/or terencehill.com and it is anticipated that the listings will eventually be split into those attributable to the individual films. (JT, in c. 2010)

Sebastian Dammers, who provided a comparison for capture 8, mentions that the beautiful Brescello railway station makes an appearance and supplied a couple of extra grabs together with comparisons, added in July ’26, followed swiftly by Manuel Gurtner who supplied three more, specifically from Il Ritorno di Don Camillo.

 

Can you help:

If you have any information regarding this production, the locations or, even better, some comparison shots please contact us. Images submitted must be in Landscape orientation, as would be seen on the cinema screen, not Portrait.

We are aware that there are films on the site that were added when the criteria for the inclusion of locations was very different from today and, as a result, there may be scenes missing from some productions. Please do not forward additional screen captures to us but bring the detail to our attention, for we do, and are, 're-addressing' these older entries as time allows.

  • Capture 1
  • 'Now' required

A street, and I bet it is in Brescello.

  • Capture 2
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The other side of the main square, Piazza Matteotti, in Brescello, opposite Don Camillo's church, Santa Maria Nascente.

  • Capture 3
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This is probably the secondary square in Brescello, Piazza Mingori where they've parked a modified Pershing M26 American tank, in the film an M24 Chaffee was used.

  • Capture 4
  • 06 Oct 2010

Mayor Peppone's house, via Carducci in Brescello.

  • Capture 5
  • 06 Oct 2010

The road between Boretto and the bridge of boats, near Brescello with Boretto church in the background.

Boretto church, St Mark's, San Marco.

  • Capture 6
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The old railway station at Boretto, now the Municipal Police station, easily recognised by the sloping facia, similar to the cinema just half a block away.

  • Capture 7
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via Saccone, Boretto.

  • Capture 8
  • 15 Jun 2019

Brescello church.

Sebastian Dammers sent in this splendid comparison. (SJ)

  • Capture 9
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Madonna of the Borghetto, the small town, Brescello.

  • Capture 10
  • 06 Oct 2010

Pomponesco, other side, the north side, of the Po, in the county of Lombardy, Lombardia, near Parma, where the ham comes from.

Pomponesco now, and, if you squint you can see the steps that appear in doc014. These steps clamber up a dyke that protects the town from the flood waters. Imagine, an overflowing Po! and these following pics are copyright of www.terencehill.com.

  • Capture 11
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And Pomponesco again.

  • Capture 12
  • 06 Oct 2010

From the top of the embankment looking towards Pomponesco.

Confirmed.

  • Capture 13
  • 27 Feb 2011

The steps, Pomponesco. Sure, I know that there are no actors, but as T Hill Esq. was kind enough to put the pics on-line I thought it kind to include them, with thanks.

Yes.Not qite the size of those in Battleship Potempkin, but nice enough.

  • Capture 14
  • 06 Oct 2010

Town Hall, Municipio, Pomponesco.

Spot on.

  • Capture 15
  • 06 Oct 2010

Edge of the river Po.

Rocks, put in for Simon, he loves them!

  • Capture 16
  • 06 Oct 2010

Town square facing the church in Pomponesco.

The same.

  • Capture 17
  • 06 Oct 2010

Church bell tower, Pomponesco

Ditto.

  • Capture 18
  • 06 Oct 2010

Don Camillo's house, says the good Mr Hill, three windows and a shed on the right. But no address or even a town.

The same claims Sig. Hill, but with a round topped door. In yer dreams baby! The jury's still out on this one.

  • Capture 19
  • 06 Oct 2010

Main Square Brescello.

Same place.

  • Capture 20
  • 06 Oct 2010

Municipio, Town Hall, Brescello.

Now.

  • Capture 21
  • 15 Jun 2019

The first of two screen grabs supplied by Sebastian Dammers to show off Brescello station at the south end of Viale Venturini.

And here's Sebastian's comparison of the east side. (SJ)

  • Capture 22
  • 15 Jun 2019

And showing the west side.

Sebastian once again. (SJ)

  • Capture 23
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At the beginning of 'The Return of Don Camillo' the train with Don Camillo, exiled to a remote mountain parish by his bishop, arrives at Montenara station. Actually shot at Sassa-Tornimparte station, located at Sassa Scalo, L'Aquila province, on the Terni-Sulmona railway... the first of three new stills from Il Ritorno di Don Camillo supplied and identified by Manuel Gurtner. (SJ)

  • Capture 24
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However, the local population is not celebrating the arrival of Don Camillo, but rather the local stage winner of the Giro cycling race. Shot at the main platform of Sassa-Tornimparte station. In the far background to the right Monte Sant' Angelo (1297 m) is visible, together with the mountain range with Coppa della Conca (1389 m) and Monte tra le Serre (1590 m) to the left.

  • Capture 25
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Stomping through the snow, Don Camillo approaches the bleak mountain village of Montenara, located in the heart of the Abruzzo region. But actually we see Rocca di Cambio in the province of L'Aquila, with the Collegiate Church of San Pietro visible in the upper right.