Inside The Sensuous And Storied Locations Of The White Lotus
Season Two of this sleeper hit makes an even bigger splash in historic Sicily
Undeniably one of the most sumptuous shows as of late, White Lotus just bid arrivederci to its wonderful second season set in Sicily. Aside from the backstabbing, sex and hilarious moments of the show, it had really strong design moments as well.
In the gallery below, let’s look back at the lush locations that have us wishing we could take the next plane out to the island off the Ionian sea:
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Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery
San Domenico Palace, Taormina
Similar to the show’s previous season, the resort the guests are staying at is an actual Four Seasons hotel. San Domenico Palace has historical origins as a Dominican convent dating back to 1374 and was turned into a hotel in 1896, adding a building in liberty architectural style.
Photo Credit: Dirt.com
San Domenico Palace, Taormina
High above the cliffs overlooking the Ionian sea and Mount Etna, the hotel became one of Europe’s first grand hotels.
Photo Credit: The Four Seasons Hotel
San Domenico Palace, Taormina
Italian cabinetry and casework company, Poliform made customized furnishings for the hotel including the curved bar where characters Lucia and Mia wait for their next prey.
Photo Credit: The Four Seasons Hotel
San Domenico Palace, Taormina
Two women played a key role in the hotel’s recent renovation: architect Valentina Pisani oversaw the renovation while Rosaria Catania Cucchiara headed the historical restoration.
Photo Credit: The Four Seasons Hotel
San Domenico Palace, Taormina
Pisani’s style can be seen in the suites that the guests stayed at - light colors and neutral tones with occasional vivid pops of colors. The floors in the rooms are Patagonian marble while the floors in the bathrooms are marble from Breccia Carrara.
Photo Credit: The Four Seasons Hotel
Villa Tasca, Palermo
During the show, Daphne and Harper go on trip together to Noto and stay in a villa. The actual villa is called Villa Tasca in Palermo, a four hour drive away from Noto. It’s a neoclassical building originally built in the 1500s covered in jaw-dropping trompe l’oeil frescoes of pastoral landscapes that inspired the opening credits of the show.
Photo Credit: Still from The White Lotus, Season 2, HBO
Villa Tasca, Palermo
The suite where the girls stayed at had a terrace with blue and white tile-work that opened up to the lush garden with tropical plants including centuries old trees. Some of the Villa’s guests have been nothing short of royalty including King Ferdinand IV, Queen Caroline, and Jacqueline Kennedy. An overnight stay costs about PHP 350,000 a night, while a visit to the park is only PHP 250.
Photo Credit: Still from The White Lotus, Season 2, HBO
Noto
Daphne wanted to visit Noto because of its baroque architecture. Noto, located in the south-east side of Sicily, was devastated by an earthquake back in 1693. Now it is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site as “Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto”. The city’s plan has an almost perfect symmetry. When the sun hits the limestone that most of the buildings here are built from, a soft amber reflects off of the surfaces creating a dreamy quality.
Photo Credit: Antonio Sessa Via Unsplash
Noto
At a limestone piazza in Corso Vittorio Emmanuele, Noto’s main street, Daphne tells Harper about the mind games she plays on her husband Cameron. With the Noto Cathedral as a backdrop, Aubrey Plaza as Harper recreates a Monica Vitti scene from the classic La Ventura where she gets surrounded by men gawking at her.
Photo Credit: Still from The White Lotus, Season 2, HBO
Villa Elena, Noto
In the show, Quentin brings Tanya to his opulent villa in Palermo.
Photo Credit: Still from The White Lotus Season 2, HBO
Villa Elena, Noto
This villa is actually Villa Elena in Noto and is the private residence of renowned interior designer Jacques Garcia. Its structure’s history is felt and seen in the many layers of the space.
Photo Credit: @jacquesgarcianoto
Villa Elena, Noto
In an interview with Architectural Digest, Garcia says “This 17th-century monastery is built on a 12th-century Norman villa, which replaced a 10th-century Moorish palace, which replaced a fifth-century Roman house, which replaced a Greek villa of the third century before Jesus Christ.” Are you keeping up?
Photo Credit: @dollfusd
Villa Elena, Noto
The interiors are richly baroque and are inspired by three Roman palazzi: Pallavicini-Rospigliosi, Doria Pamphilj, and Colonna.
Photo Credit: @dollfusd
Villa Elena, Noto
Built with the most prestigious materials such as majolica tiles, colored marble, and rococo-style mirrors, Villa Elena blended Arabian, Norman, Renaissance and baroque influences. Walls are covered in damask silk and baroque paintings in gilded frames. It was a perfect location for Quentin to lure Tanya for an indulgent night.
Photo Credit: @__k__u__u
Banner and Thumbnails by @thewhitelotus @jacquesgarcianoto
