It won’t be long until the broadcast of ‘My brilliant friend 4’, the final season of the famous series based on the novels of Elena Ferrante, on Rai 1. The episodes, after a very successful broadcast in the USA on HBO Max will finally be seen in Italy, but will be shown first Filmfest in Rom presented. Today, as part of the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, the series of Saverio Costanzo presented, which has completely renewed itself for the fourth season with a new cast and a more adult story. The episodes starting from 11. November Aired on Rai 1, it follows the events of ‘The Story of the Lost Child’, the final novel in the saga created by Ferrante. Despite the important changes in the cast (Alba Rohrwacher will be Lenù, Irene Maiorino will take on the role of Lila and Fabrizio Gifuni that of Nino Sarratore), one element in ‘My Brilliant Girlfriend’ remains constant: Naples. Like the characters, the city is the protagonist of a constant change that never allows it to stay the same. Naples has been at the center of the story since the first season, just like Lila and Lenù, and tells us about a city that Elena Ferrante already has in the novels reinterpreted with melancholic poetry. But which places tell ‘My Brilliant Friend’ best?
Der Rione Luzzati
A neighborhood in the east of Naples that gained fame thanks to Ferrante’s decision to make it the protagonist of her novels. The Rione Luzzati has probably become the symbol of ‘My brilliant friend’. Lila and Lenù get to know each other right there, between the apartment blocks of their poor neighborhood, which hardly offered any prospects. In order to achieve an adequate reconstruction, the neighborhood in Marcianise was recreated on the site of the former Saint-Gobain factory.
Prince of Naples Gallery
Especially in the first season, Naples seems almost like a distant world outside the district to the protagonists. One of the first direct contacts that both have with the city, its liveliness and worldliness, is when they eat ice cream in the Galleria Principe. This is located opposite the National Archaeological Museum and, despite years of severe neglect and decay, remains one of the most fascinating places in the city, which the series shows with incredible charm.
Port’Alba
When a Neapolitan mentions Port’Alba, he only thinks of one thing: books. The smell of paper mixed with that of ink is one of the hallmarks of this street, considered the quintessential cultural route of Naples. Bookstores, stationery stores, and print shops line the sidewalks in a microcosm that seems designed to symbolize culture. In ‘My Brilliant Friend’, Port’Alba is one of the favorite places of the young Lenù, who dreams of living on culture and constantly losing herself in the wonderful atmosphere of this part of the city.
Martyrs’ Square
This is where the Solara’s shoe shop is located, a place that appears several times in the series. In the second season, the famous square was used as an open-air set for several important moments in the series. According to advance notices, some footage of the fourth season was shot right there, giving this piece of Naples a 70s atmosphere.
Plebiscito Square
Another important location in Naples that often plays a role in the series. According to some rumors, he will particularly play a role in the fourth season. In some of the promotional images in the series you can see how Lenù and Lina, now adults, cross the large square on foot. A way to relive the Naples you know and relive all the memories between the Gambrinus and Piazza Trieste e Trento.
Ischia
One of the most beautiful moments in which the protagonists leave the framework of the district and Naples is the vacation on Ischia. Lenù is sent there on the advice of the teacher Oliviero. There she lives in the house of Mrs. Nella Icardo, the teacher’s cousin and owner of holiday apartments, which she likes to rent out in the summer. In addition to Barano d’Ischia, Ischia Ponte, the Aragonese Castle and Villa Leone can be seen in these moments of the series.
Corso Umberto I
For almost the entire series, the Rettifilo area is seen as the home of the rich and shopping. A place where the protagonists go shopping and would like to visit. However, it is precisely there that the events that will completely change the lives of Lila and Lenù are planned and organized.
Caracciolo seafront
One of the most fascinating moments of ‘My Brilliant Friend’ is when Lenù sees the sea for the first time. She sees it from a distance with her father as she enrolls in high school. A turning point in her life, also embodied in the discovery of something as simple as the seafront and the postcard of Naples.
