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| Hôtel Adriano |
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| Isola di San Paolo on the Iseo lake (picture found on Internet) |
UPDATE:
I have now been there in 2014, and the resemblance really is striking! Here's a close-up picture I took:
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Inspiration for the Hôtel Adriano
Since I live in Japan for the time being, I thought it might be a good idea to start this blog with something related. You may have seen the animated movie 'Porco Rosso' (紅の豚) from Miyazaki. I really like the relaxed italian atmosphere in this movie, and particularily the Hôtel Adriano, a central place in the movie. I always wondered if this hotel isolated on a tiny island in the middle of a lake surrounded by mountains was inspired from a real location. I once did a quick google-earth search over the adriatic, where the movie takes place, but there's no such island. Then some day, while randomly browsing the lakes region of northern Italy, I found it! Of course I can't be 100% sure, but by the look of it I bet that's it. Judge for yourself with the images below.
UPDATE:
I have now been there in 2014, and the resemblance really is striking! Here's a close-up picture I took:
...and another that somewhat matches the atmosphere of the movie:
UPDATE:
I have now been there in 2014, and the resemblance really is striking! Here's a close-up picture I took:
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I don't know if you still maintain this blog, but I wanted to say I really appreciated you posting about this island since I just saw Porco Rosso as part of an anime movie festival and wanted to know more about the inspiration for Hotel Adriano. That's amazing that you even were able to visit the location you believe to be the site. Thanks, again!
ReplyDeleteAlso thanks for this gem of a research. I've found this youtube video of the island
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5bVFd7dP3I
That last photo really gets the 'Porco Rosso' feel. You didn't find a lady called Gina there, did you?
ReplyDeleteOn lake Iseo there is a second micro island called Isola Loreto very similar to Paolo, but with a small castle on it. Gives me the same Porco Rosso feeling.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever get a chance go there visit the lake and region, lots more great stuff there.
The great itaian lakes were actually very often used to develop and test the race planes for the Schneider Cup. So there is a lot of aviation history regarding Porco Rosso there too.
Sadly you can not visit the islands themselves as they are still in private owbership (owned by the beretta family, yes, the weapon makers...).
If you are interestet in the whole aviation stuff of the movie visit the italian air force museum Vigna di Valle near Rome. They have one if the greatest collections of early airplanes in the world and many of the original schneider cup race planes. You will find the actual originals of Ferrarins plane, and all the Fiat, Savoia and Macchi planes that stood model for Porcos, Curtiss' and all theborher planes. You wont believe what theyve got there, your eyes will pop out...
Interesting info! Thanks.
DeleteDo you know the Annecy lake in France ? "Duingt castle" has faces that reminds me of hotel Adriano, and it is quite on an island.
ReplyDeleteI didn't, but seeing how beautiful the town, lake & surroundings are, it seems I'll have to go there too :)
Delete