Savoca

Located on a ridge amid a pair of tremendous hills, Savoca sits at the end of a 2-mile stretch of road that serpentines up from the coast. With views galore (from practically every point in town), this little medieval village also offers excellent examples of architecture from the 13th and 15th centuries and many lovingly restored houses. While approximately 1,500 residents call the town home, only 65 live in the central historic borgo, and you can easily walk the whole town in a half hour.

But these days, most visitors to Savoca are there on a pilgrimage to see where Francis Ford Coppola filmed the Sicilian scenes of The Godfather. Coppola found the real Corleone (in western Sicily near Palermo) to be too modern and lacking the charm needed for his cinematic masterpiece. So, instead, he chose the picturesque town of Savoca and nearby Forza D'Agrò. In the central piazza you'll find a steel sculpture made by local artist Nino Ucchino in honor of Coppola's filmmaking.