Category Archives: Matera

‘No Time to Die’ in Matera, Italy. Part 1: Arrival

04 Saturday Jan 2025

Posted by in Matera, No Time to Die

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After an evening swim in the sea James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) in Aston Martin DB5 took the scenic road at the seaside. They drove out of the tunnel straight onto Sassi di Matera that is a historic part of the city of Matera.

Sassi di Matera by night. View from Via D’Addozio at Convent of Saint Agostino.
– Sassi di Matera by night. View from Via D’Addozio at Convent of Saint Agostino.

The scenic road where they entered the tunnel was filmed at the Tyrrhenian Sea, about 200 km from Matera (read more in: Scenic road at the Tyrrhenian Sea in ‘No Time to Die’). The exit from the tunnel was filmed at Via D’Addozio in Sassi di Matera.

Sassi di Matera by night.
– Sassi di Matera by night.

The end of the tunnel was built just for filming on the street Via D’Addozio next to Convent of Saint Agostino.

Exact location of the fake tunnel. Via D’Addozio next to Convent of Saint Agostino Sassi di Matera. The tunnel was built above that part of the street.
– Exact location of the fake tunnel. Via D’Addozio next to Convent of Saint Agostino Sassi di Matera. The tunnel was built above that part of the street.

Aston Martin db5 drove out of the tunnel straight onto a viewpoint overlooking the city. You can notice in the film that the barrier at the viewpoint was covered so it looked like a stone wall.

Viewpoint at Via D’Addozio next to the Convent of Saint Agostino Sassi di Matera.
– Viewpoint at Via D’Addozio next to the Convent of Saint Agostino Sassi di Matera.

Standing at the viewpoint you can see the difference between the real view and the one shown in the movie. There was some CGI used to create it. In the film you can see a stone bridge against the background of the hills to the left of the city. The bridge was filmed in Gravina in Puglia and pasted into the view of Sassi di Matera.

View from Via D’Addozio at Sassi di Matera.
– View from Via D’Addozio at Sassi di Matera.

James Bond parked the car in the city center. He and Madeleine Swann walked slowly up the stairs to the hotel.

The scene where Bond and Madeleine got out of the car was filmed at Via Bruno Buozzi at the intersection with Rione Pianelle, just a few steps from Piazza San Pietro Caveoso.

Via Bruno Buozzi at the intersection with Rione Pianelle in Sassi di Matera.
– Via Bruno Buozzi at the intersection with Rione Pianelle in Sassi di Matera.

The next scene where the couple was walking to the hotel was filmed at via Muro.

Via Muro in Sassi di Matera.
– Via Muro in Sassi di Matera.

Via Muro in Sassi di Matera.
– Via Muro in Sassi di Matera.

At night Madeleine Swann went out onto the hotel balcony.

For that scene part of the hotel including front wall and the balcony was built at Belvedere di Piazza Giovanni Pascoli. It is one of the most popular viewpoints in Sassi di Matera. If you stand there, you will see exactly the same view as Madeleine.

View from Belvedere di Piazza Giovanni Pascoli.
– View from Belvedere di Piazza Giovanni Pascoli.
View from Belvedere di Piazza Giovanni Pascoli.
– View from Belvedere di Piazza Giovanni Pascoli.
View from Belvedere di Piazza Giovanni Pascoli.
– View from Belvedere di Piazza Giovanni Pascoli.

Fake hotel room was built on scaffolding so that it was at the level of the square Piazzetta Pascoli. If you look down from the viewpoint, you will see the place where the scaffolding was set up.

Location of the fake hotel at Belvedere di Piazza Giovanni Pascoli viewpoint.
– Location of the fake hotel at Belvedere di Piazza Giovanni Pascoli viewpoint.

In that footage of the Italian TV you can see how the hotel was built:

The film crew was working in Sassi di Matera in September 2019.

Go to LOCATIONS GALLERY – ‘NO TIME TO DIE’ to see locations photos compared with movie scenes.