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007, Casino Royale, filming location, Italy, James Bond, James Bond location, movie location, travel, Venice
James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) sailed to Venice in Italy. While Vesper was standing at the helm of a yacht, Bond was writing a resignation letter on his laptop. As they were sailing along the Grand Canal, Vesper noticed Adolph Gettler (Richard Sammel), who was the Quantum agent. 007 and the girl stayed in a hotel located at Saint Mark’s Square.
Seen in the film 54 foot yacht named ‘Spirit’, was built by Spirit Yachts Ltd in Suffolk, UK. It was the first sailing yacht to go up the Grand Canal in Venice in 300 years.
When Bond and Vesper were approaching Venice, most famous buildings in the city were seen in background. There was tower of San Giorgio Maggiore on the left, Saint Mark’s campanile on the right and Santa Maria della Salute in the middle (all of them in photos below).
Bell tower of Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore.
Bell tower of St Mark’s Basilica.
Santa Maria della Salute.
Bell tower of Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore (left) and Santa Maria della Salute (right).
It is not necessary to buy a boat to see the view that was in front of Bond and Vesper. One of the possibilities it to take a Vaporetto to Sant’Elena. Not many tourists go that far, therefore it is a very peacefull an quiet place. As you can see in photos below, while watching the view you can relax on a bench in a park or use outdoor gym.
When James Bond was writing the resignation letter, there was Santa Maria della Salute Basilica visible in background (photo below). On his laptop monitor you could see his e-mail inbox with fictitious email addresses of film crew members: Anne Bennet (Publicity and Marketing) – anne.bennett@thenet.com, Chris McBride (Computer & Video Supervisor) – chris.mcbride@thenet.com, Neil Pinkawa (lead screen graphics artist) and David Hicks (lead motion graphics designer). 
When Vesper left the hotel room, M called and asked 007 about the money that he won in Casino Royale. Bond immediately called the Swiss banker and got information that while they were talking someone was withdrawing the money in a bank located at Saint Mark’s Square in Venice. James Bond guessed that it was Vesper who stole the money and ran after her.
The hotel where Bond and Vesper stayed didn’t exist. The hotel lobby scenes were filmed at the Czech National Museum in Prague.
It was June 2006 when film crew was working in Venice. Because of about 400 extras and big number of tourists around it was very difficult to film the scene with Bond running around the Saint Mark’s Square. The bank was located in Saint Mark’s Square corner, from which the photo presented below was taken. In the film you could see ‘Basel Bank’ sign above the door. In reality there is ‘BANCA COMMERCIALE ITALIANA’ sign instead.
James Bond tried to find Vesper under arcades that you can see in photo below. Finally he saw her walking on the bridge located at Sotoportego del Cavalletton street. The entrance to that street from Saint Mark’s Square is located behind fifth arch from the right in photo below. 
In the next scene Eva Green who played Vesper was walking alone on Ponte del Malpaga bridge (see photo below). Daniel Craig was looking at her from the bridge connecting Fondamenta Toletta and Calle Lotto from which the photo was taken.
Bond followed Vesper down the Sotoportego de le Colonne. As she passed over the Ponte de le Colonne bridge she looked back, but she couldn’t see 007 who was hidden in the shadows.
In the photo below you can see Sotoportego de le Colonne and the Ponte de le Colonne bridge in background.
Next photo was taken from the bridge towards the shadows where 007 was hidden.
Finally Vesper came to the courtyard where she met Gettler. The villain saw James Bond hiding behind the column and took Vesper hostage. Gettler’s men tried to shoot 007.
The sequence was filmed in the courtyard of Conservatorio di musica Benedetto Marcello, that was also ‘Moonraker’ filming location (read more: ‘Moonraker’ in Venice). Main entrance to the building was located at Campiello Pisani, however Vesper entered the side door, which is visible in the photo below.
She turned left and passed through the doors (that are closed in photo below) to the courtyard.
Next photo was taken from the courtyard. Vesper came out from behind the columns. Later James Bond was hiding behind these columns when Gettler’s men tried to shoot him.
On the right in photo below you can see the column where 007 was hiding when Vesper was talking to Gettler. On the left there is a sculpture that was seen behind Daniel Craig’s head.
Next photo of the courtyard was taken from Bond’s hide behind the column. Vesper and Gettler were standing in the middle of the courtyard. Gettler’s men were shooting from windows above the entrance to the courtyard located in the center of the photo.
When they started shooting, James Bond was running behind columns visible in the middle of the photo below.
James Bond pursued Gettler and Vesper into a building under renovation. During the fight the building started to sink.
The sequence with the building collapsing into the Grand Canal was filmed in Pinewood studio, however buildings around were all real and shot on location. Collapsing building was digitally inserted and replaced Lion Morosini Palace (second from right in photo below).
In the studio the 1/3-scale miniature of the building was built for exterior shots. It had more than 100 different parts designed to fall off.
The inside of the sinking house was built on a special rig that measured 45 foot by 40 foot and was 45 foot high. 
The scene with people looking at sinking building was filmed at Campo Erberia (photo below). 
After Vesper’s death James Bond was sitting on the yacht’s deck and talking on the phone with M. The scene was filmed at Santi Cosma e Damiano church. Behind 007 the dome of Santa Maria della Salute (in photo below) was visible.
Visit LOCATIONS GALLERY on top of the page to see locations photos compared with movie scenes.
Sources:
– ‘James Bond. Szpieg ktorego kochamy’ Michal Grzesiek, Wydawnictwo Bukowy Las 2011
– www.awn.com
– www.mi6-hq.com
– reelstreets.com
– www.spirityachts.com
He entered the museum-lobby of the Venini Glass Works that belonged to his main opponent – Hugo Drax. The scene was filmed in real Venini shop located at Piazzetta dei Leoncini next to Saint Mark’s Basilica (in the center of the photo below).
After leaving the museum Dr. Goodhed appeared in the door on the right side of the photo presented below and walked towards the place from which the picture was taken.
Next picture looks similar to the film shot. James Bond was standing behind the column and looking at Dr. Goodhead walking to the stairwell. The stairwell is clearly visible in next pictures taken from another side. It is worth noticing that the same courtyard was used as location in “Casino Royale”.
In the next scene James Bond pretended that he accidentially met Dr. Holly Goodhead. It was filmed at La Scuola nuova della Misericordia (pictured below), however the building was not seen.
I visited this place 40 years after Roger Moore and Lois Chiles were standing there, however the place has not changed much. There are only some new details, such as city monitoring warning sign (pictured below), that would probably be seen in background.
After short conversation with Dr. Goodhead, on his way back via gondola, James Bond was attacked. He killed the assassin and by opening a hidden control panel converted the gondola into a motorboat.
Chase sequence ended when James Bond arrived at St. Mark’s Square and converted the gondola into a land-capable hovercraft. The sequence with gondola leaving the water (see filming location in photos below) had to be repeated six times because the vehicle was not stable and Roger Moore was falling into water.
James Bond in the gondola converted into the hoovercraft was riding next to the Doge’s Palace (photo below) and then on St. Mark’s Square (next photos). Specially designed gondola with Ford chassis had a horn to worn surprised tourists. St. Mark’s Square could not be entirely closed so there was a lot of unaware people among actors and extras.
At night James Bond returned to the glass factory dressed as a gondolier. The scene was filmed at the Ponte dell’Accademia bridge with Santa Maria della Salute basilica in background. The place where 007 arrived in gondola is visible on the left side of the picture below).
Bond throwed gondolier hat on figurine decorating a gondola similar to the one presented in photo below.
He opened a padlock with a skeleton key and entered the courtyard that he visited earlier when he was following Dr. Goodhead. The passage between the Canal Grande and the courtyard of Conservatorio di musica Benedetto Marcello really exists. In picture below the sunlight brightens the place where Roger Moore was standing with the skeleton key. The passage to the Canal Grande is on the right from that place.
Next picture was taken from James Bond’s perspective. There is an entrance to the staircase visible on the right. He walked there a few seconds later. Dr. Holly Goodhead entered the same entrance after she left the glass museum.
Next two pictures were taken from the other side of the fence. There is an entrance to the staircase mentioned before on the right side of the second photo.
After visiting the laboratory and stealing a sample of deadly fluid, James Bond emerged from the stairwell (on the left in photo below). He was attacked between columns by Chang.
Next picture was taken from courtyard side. James Bond and Chang were fighting and slowly moving behind columns from right to left. 007 throwed his opponent against the wall and they both fell into the room full of glass throught the door on the left. In the next scene they used the largest amount of breakaway sugar glass ever.
Meanwhile Dr. Holly Goodhead was relaxing in Hotel Danieli (second building from right in next two photos). James Bond joined her soon in her apartment. There was a flood during filming, so the film crew had to stop working several times to move power generators to upper floors.
James Bond will be back in Venice 28 years later in “Casino Royale” with Daniel Craig as 007.
They turn right. 007 throws the film of him and Romanova into the water. A few seconds later there is only his waving hand visible with the Doge’s Palace in background. Piazzetta San Marco (picture below) leading to Piazza San Marco is a background for end credits.
All scenes in Venice were filmed using rear-projection technique. In Venice there was only film director Terence Young who filmed the city in one day only. Actors were filmed in Pinewood studio.
Cars were riding on a road next to the river as seen in a picture below.
The crew occupied for the film the street along the river between Umberto 1st bridge and Sisto bridge and there were crew 
After sunset all city lamps and film lamps were on as seen in a picture taken from Ponte Sisto bridge.
The crew has started preparations for shooting. There was motorboat and jet ski on Tiber river and tracking vehicle with cameras riding both ways.
During the day at the
In the movie there was only one Jaguar chasing one Aston Martin, however on the set there were 3 Aston Martins DB10 and 5 Jaguars C-X75 from … 5 existing in the world (according to information i.e. from Wikipedia). 4 Jaguars were standing in one row next to each other, but the last one was parked a few meters from them with sheet of paper by wiper with „FLAME PROOFED DO NOT TOUCH NON TOCCARE” written on it. Two Aston Martins had paper sheets by wipers with „NO SMOKING” written on them. So we could expect flames on the set that night.
All Jaguars on the set had the same license plates numbers: “ROMA860K”. I was a bit surprised when I have noticed that all of them had steering wheels on the left side.
There was one Aston Martin and one Jaguar with remote drive POD system mounted on roofs. Using such system, stunt driver can drive a car sitting in metal cage on a roof of the car, while actor is sitting inside, pretending steering.
Besides Aston Martins and Jaguars there was another interesting car – tracking vehicle with several cameras on it.
On the platform of the tracking vehicle there was clapperboard with the title of the movie “Spectre” written on it.
Around 10 p.m. the car chase began.
There were only two cars – one Aston Martin DB10 and one Jaguar 
Some time later Jaguar C-X75 with license plate “ROMA 860K” appeared and drove away on 
And finally the Jaguar DB10 left the parking lot and the filming began.
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