Three days of opera, palazzi and Tom Ford’s Rome
Tom Ford is taking Anne Rice‘s Cry to Heaven to the screen, bringing a story of opera, aristocracy, betrayal and revenge to 18th-century Italy.
Published in 1982, Rice’s novel follows two very different men whose lives become entwined through music. Guido Maffeo, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Ford’s film, was castrated as a child so that his soprano voice could be preserved. He grows into an opera singer before losing his voice eventually finding a new life as a teacher and composer.
Then there is Tonio Treschi, played by Nicholas Hoult, a Venetian nobleman, with a remarkable singing voice and a complicated family history. Tonio’s life is shattered when his half-brother Carlo has him castrated. Sent away to study with Guido, he initially refuses to sing and struggles with what has been done to him. Gradually, his extraordinary voice returns, and Guido sees in him the possibility of achieving the operatic glory he once lost.
Tonio eventually becomes a celebrated soprano, moving through the lavish and often dangerous world of Italian opera while carrying his desire for revenge against Carlo with him. Music gives him a new identity, but his old life keeps pulling him back towards Venice.
Ford’s film brings an unusually starry cast to the story. Alongside Nicholas Hoult and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are Adele, making her acting debut, Colin Firth, Ciarán Hinds, George MacKay, Mark Strong, Paul Bettany, Owen Cooper, Hunter Schafer, Thandiwe Newton, Daryl McCormack, Cassian Bilton, Théodore Pellerin, Lux Pascal, Josephine Thiesen and Daniel Quinn-Toye. Publicly available casting information identifies Hoult as Tonio, Taylor-Johnson as Guido, Hinds as Andrea, Firth as Carlo, Strong as Calvino and Schafer as Christina. Adele’s role has not been publicly detailed.
The Italy Behind Tom Ford’s Return
The film also marks Ford’s return to directing after Nocturnal Animals in 2016. In this chapter Ford’s camera travels through an Italy that is full of gilded rooms, opera houses, royal palaces and finely detailed period costumes. The film shows how Ford captures every detail turning the camera into a storyteller of grand style.
It is a story that demands OTT opulent interiors. And for the Italian production, Ford had Rome and Caserta at his disposal.
According to Italy for Movies filming began in Rome in January 2026 before moving to the Royal Palace of Caserta then returning to Rome. The production spent 42 days in Rome, six days at the Reggia di Caserta and another 12 days back in Rome.
The wait for the film has grown a little longer too. Early reports had hoped for a release but those plans have since slipped. Current reporting points towards 2027, with no exact release date announced and no official trailer released yet.
That gives us plenty of time to plan the Italy trip.
If pressed for time, three days is all you need to visit the confirmed locations and experience old Rome and royal Caserta.
Rome first, naturally
Day 1
Check into Monti and step into old Rome
Source: Booking.com
For this itinerary, Monti Palace Hotel (4.4 stars from 771 Google Reviews) makes a particularly practical base.
The four‑star hotel sits on Via Cavour in the Monti district. The four‑star hotel is very close to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The Cavour Metro stop is nearby. Termini station is about a ten‑minute walk away. This makes the four‑star hotel perfect for exploring Rome and for catching the train to Caserta on the trip.
It also gives you the right neighbourhood for this particular trip. Monti has the narrow streets, old buildings and small restaurants that make wandering around Rome far more enjoyable than moving between attractions by taxi.
Drop your bags. Make your way to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.
You don’t have to stay inside every site for the whole afternoon.
Walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali, take a look at the Forum, from the viewpoints and keep going toward Piazza Venezia.
Then turn back into Monti.
This is the evening for Via dei Serpenti, small wine bars and a long dinner.
Dinner at La Taverna dei Monti
Source: Tripadvisor
La Taverna dei Monti has 4.5 stars and 3.7k reviews. It is on Via del Boschetto. It is a choice, for the first night. It is located in the neighborhood. It is listed on Rome’s tourism website.
Order something Roman and keep the evening slow.
You have two more days.
Day 2
Baroque Rome and a little opera
Source: Archeoroma
Today is where the Cry to Heaven atmosphere takes over.
Begin at Piazza Navona, a place with 4.7 stars from 217,000 reviews. Then walk toward the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.
You won’t see a sign that says Cry to Heaven was filmed here. That is exactly why this plan works. The film draws from an Italy of aristocrats, opera houses, churches and elaborate interiors. Rome supplies that atmosphere in abundance.
After lunch I will head towards Palazzo Barberini.
I feel excited adding this place to the list because Palazzo Barberini was designed as a Baroque residence and now houses part of the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica. It makes a natural stop for anyone interested in the visual world surrounding the period.
Then make your way towards Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.
Make the evening about opera
If your dates line up with a performance, book a show at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.
The Teatro dell’Opera di Roma programme includes productions such as Mozarts Le nozze di Figaro in September 2026. Verdis Falstaff from October, into November.
The programme changes throughout the year so check the calendar before planning the evening.
Even if there isn’t a performance during your visit, the theatre itself gives the day a fitting ending.
Cry to Heaven is built around opera, so this is one part of the itinerary where the connection feels particularly natural.
Dinner at Trattoria Monti
Source: Time Out
Finish the day at Trattoria Monti (4.5 stars from 1.2k), another well-known choice in the area around Monti and Esquilino.
Keep dinner relaxed, then walk back through Rome after dark.
The city has a way of making a completely ordinary evening feel like a period drama without requiring Tom Ford’s production department.
Caserta saves the grand finale
Day 3
Take a train ride to the Reggia di Caserta
Source: Tripadvisor
Leave Rome in the morning. Take the fast train south, to Caserta.
The train journey from Rome to Caserta takes about 1 hour and 6 minutes on the fastest direct services, while average or connecting trips can take anywhere from 1 hour 40 minutes to over 3 hours
This is the day where the itinerary moves from Rome’s streets to the one confirmed Caserta location attached to the film.
The Royal Palace of Caserta
Source: Gold Web Tv
The Reggia di Caserta was used specifically for the film Cry to Heaven and the production spent six days there during the shoot. Contemporary reports from that time also mentioned Adele and Colin Firth at the palace in period costume.
Thankfully you do not need to rush through it.
The official Reggia di Caserta recommends about two hours for the Royal Palace and four hours for the Royal Park and English Garden. The full ticket currently includes both.
Start inside.
Take a look at the Grand Staircase, the Royal Apartments, the Palatine Chapel and the Court Theatre then step into the huge park.
The palace covers 45,000 metres and houses 1,400 rooms. Construction began in 1752 under the Bourbon king Charles of Bourbon and the architect Luigi Vanvitelli.
It is clear why a film set in the world of Italian aristocracy would choose this palace.
Stay at Hotel Royal Caserta
Source: Tripadvisor
If you want to turn the day into an overnight rather than immediately heading back to Rome, Hotel Royal Caserta (4.3 stars from 2.1k) is the obvious choice.
It sits just steps from the palace, with rooms overlooking the Royal Palace and an on-site restaurant.
Source: Skyscanner
For a more budget-conscious option, Hotel Regina Caserta (3.8 stars from 743) is another practical choice. The hotel says the Royal Palace is a short walk away and offers a complimentary transfer to and from Caserta railway station on request.
Dinner at Antica Hostaria Massa
Source: Tripadvisor
For the final dinner, book Antica Hostaria Massa (4.4 stars from 2.5k), which has been serving in Caserta since 1848.
The restaurant is on Via G. Mazzini in the historic centre and offers both lunch and dinner service on most days.
It is a fitting place to end a trip built around an old Italian story.
Order something from Campania, pour a glass of wine and let the palace be the last grand thing you see.
The three day route at a glance
Day 1
- Rome
- Monti Palace Hotel
- Colosseum and Roman Forum
- Monti
- La Taverna dei Monti
Day 2
- Piazza Navona
- Pantheon
- Trevi Fountain
- Spanish Steps
- Palazzo Barberini
- Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
- Trattoria Monti
Day 3
- Rome to Caserta
- Royal Palace of Caserta
- Royal Park and English Garden
- Hotel Royal Caserta or Hotel Regina Caserta
- Antica Hostaria Massa
A short trip with a very grand backdrop
The beauty of this itinerary is that it leaves plenty of room for Italy around the film.
Rome supplied the overwhelming majority of the confirmed Italian shoot, while Caserta supplied one spectacular royal setting.
So there is no need to chase places that are not confirmed or spend a week traveling between hotels.
Three days gives you Rome at a pace that is relaxed enough, one evening inspired by an opera and a full day, inside one of Italy’s most extravagant royal homes.
And if Cry to Heaven leaves you wanting to read Anne Rice’s original novel afterwards, you already have the appropriate setting.
A grand palace, a plate of pasta and an evening at the opera should do nicely.
Plan the trip
Italy for Movies filming record for Cry to Heaven
Reggia di Caserta official visitor information
