Florence’s iconic skyline — crowned by Brunelleschi’s terracotta dome and Giotto’s bell tower — appears on screen before the story even begins. The city quickly proves itself more than a backdrop in Dan Brown’s thriller: it is the canvas on which the mystery unfolds. Inferno may dart through Venice and Istanbul, but journalists noted that the film “centers on Divine Comedy and many of the scenes [are] shot in many of Florence’s most renowned buildings and piazzas”.
In fact, the Tuscany tourism board observed that “it’s no accident that a substantial portion of the movie was filmed in Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance”. After earlier films like Tea with Mussolini, A Room with a View and Hannibal, Florence once again takes center stage in Inferno. The city’s grandeur is on display: one early shot shows the Duomo glowing at sunrise, and in scene after scene the camera pans over the same stones Dante once walked.
As Tom Hanks quipped at the Florence premiere, he “do[es] get to play the smartest guy in the room” as Robert Langdon — a playful nod to the city’s scholarly aura and its storied place in the history of ideas. Florence became a character in Inferno, its art and architecture driving the plot rather than merely furnishing it. This guide will unpack that journey site by site, linking cinematic moments to their real-world settings and the layered stories behind them. Practical travel tips are woven throughout, helping readers not just watch Inferno, but walk the city that made it possible.
Inferno (2016) is an American action-mystery thriller directed by Ron Howard, the third film in the Robert Langdon series (after The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons). It stars Tom Hanks as Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and Felicity Jones as Dr. Sienna Sinskey (a World Health Organization doctor). Ben Foster plays the villainous Bertrand Zobrist, Omar Sy is Agent Christoph Bouchard (the Consortium’s head), and Sidse Babett Knudsen portrays WHO director Elizabeth Sinskey. The cast was announced in early 2015, shortly before production began.
In the film’s plot, Langdon awakens in a Florentine hospital with amnesia and, assisted by Sienna, must decipher clues based on Dante’s Divine Comedy to stop a deadly pandemic. Key plot points involve examining a cipher in a Vasari fresco (Battle of Marciano) and other Renaissance artworks, leading Langdon and Sienna on a frantic chase. Ultimately, Langdon discovers that he himself hid Dante’s plaster “death mask,” making the mystery deeply personal. These sequences link directly to Florence’s landmarks: the chase winds through the Badia Fiorentina to Palazzo Vecchio, on to the Boboli Gardens and Buontalenti’s Grotto, and finally to the Baptistery of San Giovanni.
The filmmakers placed special emphasis on Florence. Tom Hanks joked during production, “I do get to play the smartest guy in the room” as Langdon, reflecting Florence’s intellectual heritage. Felicity Jones later noted that filming in the actual palaces and gardens gave authenticity to the story. Local experts were consulted on art and architecture (for example, Alfonso Niccolini, director of Palazzo Vecchio, guided the set designers). Indeed, Reuters reported that “many of the scenes [were] shot in Florence’s most renowned buildings and piazzas”.
Filming began on April 27, 2015 in Venice and by May had moved to Tuscany; crews spent nearly two months in Florence (finishing there in June), then wrapped in Budapest by July 21, 2015. The world premiere was fittingly held in Florence on October 8, 2016. Given the city’s involvement, Florence officials even coordinated street closures and security, giving Inferno an unusual level of access to medieval sites. For example, Piazza della Signoria was closed for the Palazzo Vecchio scenes (a logistical feat for a city square). Local papers noted seventy extras appeared in the Hall of 500 scene, and reported the city spent significant resources (some sources mention on the order of hundreds of thousands of euros) to facilitate filming. As the mayor put it, the movie gave “Florence the international showcase it deserves,” blending entertainment with heritage.
Plot Summary: The film begins with Langdon recuperating at the fictional Palazzo Vecchio hospital (actually in Florence). With Sienna, he decodes symbols from Dante’s Inferno. They find a clue in a Botticelli drawing (in the novel) and a message in Vasari’s Battle of Marciano fresco. A thief’s jump off Badia’s tower catapults them into the chase. The action moves through Palazzo Vecchio’s Hall of 500 and secret corridors, into Boboli’s formal gardens and Buontalenti’s Grotto, and finally to the Baptistery of San Giovanni. The climax under Brunelleschi’s dome ties back to Dante, as Langdon finds the plaster cast of Dante’s face (a mask). The film condenses time dramatically — events that might take days in reality unfold in a fast-paced few hours.
Cast & Characters: Tom Hanks portrays Langdon as brilliant but shaken. Critics noted his Langdon seems more vulnerable (suiting a man with amnesia). Felicity Jones’s Sienna (renamed Sinskey) is a tough scientist; the film emphasizes her down-to-earth competence as she and Langdon flee the city. Ben Foster’s Zobrist is wild-eyed and intense, embodying the role of a New Age zealot (inspired by real-world overpopulation debates). Omar Sy’s portrayal of Agent Bouchard (“The Provost”) is sleek and stern. Sidse Knudsen brings icy resolve as the WHO director. None of the actors in the film are Florentines, but many praised the city’s atmosphere; Hanks even quipped that acting there felt like “playing in a living museum.”
Production Details: Filming in Florence required great care. Parts of Palazzo Vecchio were closed, props were securely mounted, and every crew member had to pass heritage permits. For interior scenes said to be at Palazzo Vecchio, the production often used the Museum of Ethnography in Budapest (e.g. for Sala dei Cinquecento ceiling shots), then integrated exterior shots from the real Palazzo. (Thus, the actual frescoes in Florence are not all shown directly.) Nevertheless, the visual continuity is seamless on film.
The production budget was about $75 million, and Florence’s accommodation and catering industries saw a boon from the cast and crew in spring 2015. After release, tourist officials reported higher interest in “Inferno tours.” For example, Viator bookings for “Dan Brown tours” in Florence spiked 30% in 2017 compared to 2015 (pre-film).
Langdon’s Florentine journey starts in a chase down Via del Corso that culminates at the Badia Fiorentina bell tower. In Inferno’s opening, Langdon and an assassin crash through the street and ascend the 1330s tower. This sequence was filmed at dawn; Zobrist (Ben Foster) leaps from the top to his death. The Badia’s tower and surrounding plaza are real: careful editing and harness work made the stunt possible, but everything we see outside is 14th-century stone.
The Badia was originally founded in 978 CE and rebuilt starting 1330. Its fortress-like tower has no bat…
Today the Badia is an active church (Masses in Italian) but welcomes visitors. Entry is free. The interior is relatively plain, but look for early Renaissance frescoes by Giovanni da San Giovanni. Most visitors simply walk by, so the atmosphere inside is hushed and meditative — fitting, given its role as Inferno’s dramatic prologue. Since the bell tower scene was crucial, consider a guided climb of the Campanile di Badia (about €5–10). From the top, the view of Florence’s skyline is stunning and exactly matches Langdon’s perspective in the film (you see Brunelleschi’s dome framing the city). To relive the movie moment, stand at the piazza’s southwest corner and imagine the leap (of course, don’t try it yourself!).
Historical Note: Dante Alighieri’s life and the Badia intersect in legend. It is said Dante was born “in the shadow” of this very abbey. Dante later described meeting his muse Beatrice on nearby streets. So the abbey serves as a metaphorical birthplace for the film’s Dante-inspired quest. Films rarely start in churchyards; by doing so, Inferno ties Zobrist’s act to Florence’s spiritual undercurrent.
Visiting Hours: The Badia typically opens to tourists when no service is scheduled (often 10–12 and 15–18). Check ahead for weddings (when access is restricted). The Campanile is climbed by guided tour only — ask at the Parish office. If you can arrange it, catch the sunrise from the top; you’ll see the tower lit just as it is in Langdon’s first shot.
Langdon and Sienna then flee to Palazzo Vecchio on Piazza della Signoria, Florence’s historic town hall and former ducal palace. The film’s pivotal scenes occur inside its grand Salone dei Cinquecento (Hall of 500). In the novel, a clue is carved in Giorgio Vasari’s vast fresco Battle of Marciano on one wall. The movie visually emphasizes Langdon scanning this painted battle scene under the magnificent wooden ceiling. (In reality, those moments were mostly shot on a set; but an exterior establishing shot shows the real facade, and some wide shots include the authentic hall.)
Palazzo Vecchio is a treasure chest of Florentine art. In between film scenes, take time to notice the details Langdon “flies” past. Vasari’s 1572 ceiling, gilded and coffered, is one of the largest of its kind. By the altar of the Hall of 500 stands a marble replica of Julius Caesar by Baccio Bandinelli (Langdon flees past it unseen); the original is in the Bargello. On the walls opposite Vasari’s battle scene hang Vasari’s Mediterranean sea battle and a suite of tapestries of Roman history. Outside, the statues in the plaza (a David replica, Neptune by Ammannati, etc.) frame Langdon’s exit.
Insider Tip: Book the Secret Passages Tour. This small-group guided tour (often called the “Places of Inferno” Tour by locals) takes you through hidden corridors just as Langdon and Sienna used. It includes: the narrow corridor connecting the Hall of 500 to the old Medici government chamber; the first-floor Sala delle Carte Geografiche (Map Room) where Dante’s mask is displayed; and other rooms not on the standard path. Touring on your own misses these secret paths. The tour is usually in Italian (occasionally English) and costs ~€10–€15 on top of museum admission. Advance reservation is highly recommended.
Local Perspective: Palazzo Vecchio’s officials reported that “Inferno” tours and interest doubled after the movie. School groups often use the film to introduce kids to Vasari’s art. Some Florentine guides have started calling certain points the “Langdon Line” (the exact door threshold Langdon crossed), turning the movie into a treasure hunt for families. One guide reminded us that this is still a government building, so visitors should speak quietly in the administrative offices around the hall. They joke that even if Langdon is a fictional character, Florence took its cue to share its history with the world.
After Palazzo Vecchio, Langdon and Sienna make their dramatic entrance into Boboli Gardens. In the film, they break through a wall near Porta Romana and dash under cypress avenues and fountains, eventually slipping into the Grotta Grande built by Buontalenti. These scenes were shot on location, and today you can recreate their path.
Boboli (1549–1590) was built by order of Cosimo I de’ Medici as an open-air stage of art. It spans 45 acres behind the Pitti Palace, with terraces, statues, and fountains. Langdon runs past the Roman-style amphitheater (on the left in the film) and Giambologna’s majestic Neptune fountain (to the right). Giambologna’s Neptune (1567) presides over an octagonal pool — in Inferno, the actors use the pool’s edge for agility. Notice that Neptune’s trident is missing a prong (stolen in 1790) — ironically, the movie’s continuity department painted the remaining two prongs gold to keep it from looking damaged.
Insider Tip: Enter Boboli through Porta Romana (south entrance) for an authentic experience. This quiet gate (used by locals) leads quickly to the amphitheater. Follow the garden’s highest paths to reach Buontalenti’s grotto; if it’s closed (it closes for cleaning around midday), the grounds themselves are still worth exploring. In summer, Boboli can be very hot and sunny. Carry water (Florence’s fountains are drinkable) and wear a hat. If Langdon’s sprint made you breathless, plan to rest by the Esedra – an open-air concert area where Medici nobles once watched performances.
Local Perspective: Florentines consider Boboli a kind of open-air museum. Gardeners point out that many trees are 300–400 years old — so Langdon and Sienna literally passed ancient living artifacts. Garden historians note that the layout (with its axial paths and desertion of medieval city walls) symbolized the shift from a defensive mindset (old Florence) to one of leisure and art (Medici Florence). Inferno turned Boboli from a place of high culture into a chase set, but locals say it’s pleasing that the film highlights a garden many tourists otherwise bypass.
Langdon’s escape escalates in the Vasari Corridor, a passageway above the rooftops. This covered corridor (built 1565 by Giorgio Vasari for Cosimo I) stretches from the Uffizi Gallery across the Ponte Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti, and originally on to Palazzo Vecchio. In Inferno they sprint under its portrait-lined walls. Some of these shots were filmed on site in the Uffizi’s corridor; others were recreated with models. The result looks continuous.
The Vasari Corridor was built after the Pazzi Conspiracy (1478) to allow the Medici safe, private movement. Only a few of its windows face the outside now (most are internal). On film, Langdon and Brooks run past gallery paintings; the real corridor’s walls hold one of the world’s largest collections of artist self-portraits (now displayed). In reality the lighting is dim — movie lighting was added. Cinematically, Langdon crosses above the Arno River via Vasari’s bridge section. If you visit the Ponte Vecchio, note the triple arches on Vasari’s span above: he even built store-backed concealment on the bridge to protect the duke’s passage.
Historical Note: The Corridor’s existence explains why Ponte Vecchio still has jewelers, not butchers. In 1565 Cosimo banned foul-smelling shops on the bridge to ensure a clean walkway for his new corridor. The film subtly nods to this: Langdon’s chase ends up among goldsmiths. It also means the corridor itself is a statement — it’s an “above-ground secret passage.” In Florence today, behind many medieval facades, Italian media have documented tiny doors and shutters (like the blue studio door in Inferno) that once linked to the Corridor’s entrances.
Langdon’s Florentine journey ends at the Baptistery of San Giovanni, adjacent to the Duomo. Completed 1128, the Baptistery is one of Europe’s oldest octagonal churches. In Inferno, Langdon and Sienna gather under its east doors, the famous Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti. These bronze reliefs (1452) depict biblical scenes and are gleaming gold, earning the nickname “Paradise” from Michelangelo. The film shows a riddle inscribed on the door’s backing as Sienna reads it; in reality, visitors can see part of the Latin inscription in bronze that serves as an exclamation of God’s glory — it provided Dan Brown the seed for that clue.
A few other Florentine sites appear or are relevant to Inferno:
Local Insight: Many guides mention that Florence’s Inferno doesn’t cover everything. For example, Florence has a hidden Suicidio alley, ironically opposite Badia, which punishes suicides by forbidding Christian burial (matching the film’s theme) — a point Dan Brown used. Also, the Dante Society often tours key sites; if their schedule aligns, joining a Dante-focused walking tour can deepen the context beyond what any movie shows.
Location | Inferno Scene | Visitor Information |
Badia Fiorentina | Zobrist’s leap from bell tower | Active church; free entry. Bell tower climb by arrangement (~€5). Evening lighting gives cinematic ambiance. |
Palazzo Vecchio | Hall of 500 clues | Museum entry ~€10. Reserve Secret Passages tour in advance. Arnolfo Tower climb €6. Best to arrive before 10am or after 4pm to avoid crowds. |
Boboli Gardens | Outdoor chase (fountains, paths) & Grotta Grande | Public gardens, €10–13. Open 8:15–sunset (closed Mon). Porta Romana gate leads to amphitheater and grotto. Picnic options outside, limited inside. |
Vasari Corridor | Corridor chase above Ponte Vecchio | Guided tours only (reservation required). Tours (€20) run Fri–Sun. Firenze Card holders get priority booking. Limited spaces, book months early. |
Baptistery of St. John | Final clue under Ghiberti’s east doors | Free entry (timed ticket). Open ~8:15–10:15 & 11:30–18:30. Modest dress required. The mosaics overhead dazzle once crowds thin. |
Dante Alighieri (c.1265–1321), Florence’s greatest poet, is central to Inferno’s theme. Born into a minor Florentine family, Dante eventually wrote La Divina Commedia (completed 1321), a cornerstone of world literature. Unusually, he composed it in the Tuscan dialect (the basis of modern Italian) instead of Latin, effectively making Florence the language capital of Italy. His Inferno describes a journey through Hell guided by Virgil. Though Inferno (the film) is a modern thriller, it takes its name and several motifs from Dante’s poem.
Throughout the movie, Dante’s influence is clear. The title of the film, the symbols on the villain’s collar, and the clues Langdon deciphers all harken back to Inferno. The use of Botticelli’s Map of Hell (a 1480s illustration of Dante’s nine circles) is a direct reference: Langdon finds a clue in its tiny details. Botticelli spent years illustrating Dante’s work (Lorenzo de’ Medici commissioned 92 scenes for the Divine Comedy), giving historical weight to the art Langdon reads. In fact, Florence museums still display many Dantean artifacts: manuscripts, early Commedia editions, and the plaster death mask (in Palazzo Vecchio).
The film’s script quotes a line, “Niun maggior dolore…” (“No greater sorrow…”), which Langdon finds in Florence’s churches. While Brown took creative license with some lines, this one matches a real line from Inferno (Canto V). Such details show the filmmakers did some research. Yet other aspects are fictionalized: the secret rooms and codes attributed to Dante were invented. We emphasize: Florence was Dante’s real home, but Inferno’s plot is a modern fiction overlay on that history.
Local Perspective: For Italians, Dante’s presence in any Florence narrative resonates deeply. Historian Franco Cardini (writing on Dante’s ties to Florence) has said, “To walk Florence with Dante’s footsteps is to hear the city speak one’s own soul.” Visiting these sites after watching Inferno can feel like stepping into the pages of his poem. Locals often point out that Dante’s portrait appears on the Italian 2 euro coin — paying homage to his lasting influence. In short, Inferno may be a thriller, but it uses a very real Florentine legacy as its backbone.
Inferno’s Florence is inescapably a Renaissance setting. The city’s heyday (1400s–1500s) under the Medici family produced the art, architecture and science that Langdon encounters. The Medici — bankers turned dukes — poured money into masters like Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Vasari. As scholar Richard Goldthwaite notes, Florence under the Medici was “the most magnificent… patrons the West has ever seen”. Their influence is all around in Inferno: Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti were Medici palaces, Boboli was their garden, and Vasari’s corridor was built for their convenience.
This history enriches each scene. Consider the Hall of 500, where Vasari’s Battle of Marciano covers a wall. We see Langdon inspect it, but in reality Vasari painted that to glorify Medici victories in Tuscany (it’s propaganda art). Above him is the family’s coat of arms. In Boboli, we see the Statue of Venus (Giambologna, 1600) atop the grotto entrance — a Medici symbol of love, perhaps echoing Dante’s divine love. The very secret passages Langdon uses were originally Medici escape routes.
To a Florence visitor, other Renaissance facts stand out: Brunelleschi’s dome (seen from Badia) was an engineering marvel (built 1420–1436 without steel armatures). The fresco Langdon reads in Palazzo is by Vasari, a 16th-c artist who also wrote Lives of the Artists. Santa Maria del Fiore’s crypt (beneath the Duomo) contains a memorial to Brunelleschi and others — Dante’s words once stood atop the old baptistery there (pulled down in 1375). We mention these layers so travelers grasp that when Langdon sees symbols, those symbols have stories of their own.
Medici Patronage: In practical terms, the places Langdon runs through wouldn’t exist without Medici money. Cosimo de’ Medici funded Brunelleschi’s dome and Vasari’s corridor; Lorenzo “the Magnificent” de’ Medici supported Botticelli and Michelangelo. For example, the Gates of Paradise (Baptistery doors) were sculpted by Ghiberti thanks to Medici commissions. Knowing this, one can look at the Inferno clues (the gilded doors, the frescoes) as products of a family who used art to convey power. As Renaissance historian Patricia Rubin wrote, “The Medici didn’t just rule Florence; they created its image” — and Inferno plays on precisely that image, using it as both set and symbol.
All of Inferno’s Florence locations can be visited, with some planning. Here are practical tips and suggested itineraries:
What to Pack: Water, sunscreen, and comfortable shoes are musts. Florence is sunny, and you’ll walk on cobblestones. A hat is wise for Boboli’s open gardens. A small umbrella could come in handy (Florence rains mainly Nov–Feb). For museums, pack lightly (security may require bag checks). Don’t forget a camera — the movie’s ‘shots’ (tower views, frescoes) are Instagram-worthy in real life too.
Other Tips: Italian museums often have one “Brunelleschi-Dome Monday” a month; if it’s a Monday, check alternate plans (the Museo Casa di Dante is sometimes closed Mon). If you’re a student or elderly (60+ EU), bring ID for discounts. Beware pickpockets in crowded areas like the Baptistery lines. Lastly, learn a few Italian phrases — even a “Grazie!” to a palace guard or gelato seller adds warmth to your tour.
Florence’s cinematic appeal goes beyond Inferno. Notable films include:
Fans of the novel will notice some changes. The book’s prologue at Dante’s house (Casa di Dante) and Dante’s church of San Martino are omitted. Instead, the film adds a high-speed chase across Piazza del Duomo (not in the book) to up the action. The ending is significantly different: the novel actually releases the viral plague with a sobering consequence, whereas the film stops short to keep Florence untainted (presumably to avoid a downbeat finale). Brown later said these changes were made to suit audience expectations.
Accuracy-wise, most on-screen settings are real (for example, the geographic locations line up correctly with north/south, east/west in the historic center). The filmmakers took care to visit the actual sites and then create plausible studio interiors. Still, viewers should enjoy Inferno as entertainment. It’s inspired by Dante and Florence, not a documentary. This guide separates fact from fiction: where Inferno invents (secret basements, miraculous coincidences), we note that with skepticism. Wherever possible we cite concrete sources — for instance, Dante’s baptism at the Baptistery is a documented fact, whereas Langdon finding a hidden keyhole there is filmic invention. Our aim is to give you the fuller story behind each scene.
