Parthenope: Sorrentino's Naples and Capri

Parthenope opens in 1950 with a birth in the waters of Posillipo, watched by the Di Sangro family and Achille Lauro, the shipowner who becomes her godfather. The scene was shot off the private beach of Villa Lauro, also called Villa Rocca Matilde and once the residence of Lauro himself. Nearby Villa Grotta Marina, by the Bay of the Two Friars, plays the family home. Both villas are private; the only view is from the sea.

In a long, purely visual sequence set in the 1950s, elegant men and women stroll through the Galleria Umberto I and along Via San Carlo, glancing at each other as Naples rebuilds after the war. The Galleria, a landmark arcade built in the late 19th century, sits right beside Via San Carlo and the San Carlo Theater, so both are easy to walk in one go.

Visitor guidance: The arcade is next to the San Carlo Theater.

By 1968 Parthenope is studying anthropology under Professor Devoto Marotta, a teacher known for his severity. The film shot these scenes in the university's historic main building on Corso Umberto I, notably in the Oval Hall with its antique wooden seats. The university was founded in 1224.

Visitor guidance: The historic seat is on Corso Umberto I; check opening times before entering.

In 1973 Raimondo takes Parthenope and Sandrino to Capri. The island is where she turns heads and where Raimondo, unable to bear what he feels, throws himself from the cliffs. The film admires the Faraglioni rocks from the Gardens of Augustus, above the winding Via Krupp, and also shoots on the beach at Punta Carena Lighthouse in Anacapri.

Visitor guidance: A public garden in Capri town with views of the Faraglioni and Via Krupp.

On the Naples promenade, between the sea and rocks on one side and the tree rows of the Villa Comunale on the other, a funeral procession walks the deserted road under bright sun. A truck sprays the street. The scene alludes to the cholera epidemic that hit Naples in the 1970s, and Sorrentino used an original vintage truck.

Visitor guidance: The seafront promenade is open to walkers all day.

In 1974, after Raimondo's death, Parthenope sees a side of Naples she had never known. Until then she knew only the bright beauty of Posillipo; now a guide from the criminal underworld leads her through the low-life corners of the old town. Spaccanapoli, the ancient decumanus that seems to split the city in two, shows its bassi at night.

Location precision: The film does not name a single street, so the pin marks Via Benedetto Croce, the central stretch of Spaccanapoli.

Visitor guidance: The old-town street is public and busy; evenings are lively.

In 1982 Parthenope goes to the Cathedral of Naples on San Gennaro's feast day, 19 September, to witness the blood miracle and meet the colourful bishop, Cardinal Tesorone, warned about by Professor Marotta. He lets her handle the jewels of the Treasure of San Gennaro.

Visitor guidance: A working cathedral; dress modestly and avoid service times.

The film ends in 2023 on Via Partenope, by Hotel Santa Lucia. A blue ship is carried along by a small, festive procession, a nod to the celebrations of 4 May 2023, when fans marked SSC Napoli's third Serie A championship. Parthenope smiles as they pass.

Visitor guidance: The seafront street is public; walk it at sunset.