Where was The Serpent Queen filmed? Starz period drama premieres with an outstanding cast|All Social Updates

An anticipated American period drama television show, The Serpent Queen, will focus on the life of Catherine de’ Medici.

The eight episodes of the historical drama are released. Jewish-American director Stacie Passon, who wrote and directed the 2018 crime thriller We Have Always Lived in the Castle and most recently oversaw four episodes of Dickinson in 2019, is directing the pilot and several others.

This is a round-up of everything we know about the upcoming series, including the well-known cast and the historical incidents that served as inspiration.

Where was The Serpent Queen filmed?

The Serpent Queen was filmed in Amboise, Marseille, Chambord, Villandry, Chenonceaux and Castel Gandolfo in France and Italy. Principal photography for the first season of the historical series reportedly began in April 2021 and ended in September of the same year.

In a September 2022 interview with Cinemablend, showrunner Erwin Stoff said the studio benefited even though Season 1 was filmed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Even filming the lens required a stop in Castel Gandolfo, a town in the Lazio region of Italy. They often filmed Italian scenes on the grounds of the papal palace, Castel Gandolfo, in the Piazza della Libertà. Liv Hill, who played Catherine, spoke about what it was like filming in the actual locations where her character stayed for most of the shoot.

The “The Serpent Queen” crew reportedly camped out in Marseille, France’s second largest city, to film several scenes for the show. Surrounded by the Rhône River and the Golfe du Lion, the French city of Marseille stands out from the rest of France for its unique culture. There are many historical and maritime museums and is considered a regional center for culture and recreation.

More about the other places in France

The central French city of Amboise, famous for hosting the fabled Leonardo da Vinci at the Clos Lucé estate in the Indre-et-Loire department, is the setting for several significant passages in The Serpent Queen. There is also a well-known fountain right in front of the market square, which was created by Max Ernst in the 20th century and attracts many tourists.

The cast and crew of The Serpent Queen portray the massive fortifications typical of the 16th century, using actual historic castles in various locations across France.

In and around the communes of Chenonceaux and Chambord, which are the locations of the Château de Chenonceau and the Château de Chambord respectively, some key scenes were filmed on location. The Serpent Queen range also uses the Château de Villandry at 3 rue Principale in Villandry as a key production site.

True story behind the snake queen

A special kind of revisionist history is presented in The Serpent Queen. Based on Frieda’s non-fiction biography of the monarch, the television series that brings the story to life will chronicle the storied life and reign of Catherine de’ Medici. It is also clear that the program will deviate from the norm in order to explore unusual aesthetic points of view.

According to Wikipedia, Catherine married Henry, the second child of King Francis I of France and Queen Claude, in 1533 when she was fourteen. Pope Clement VII, Catherine’s uncle, arranged for their union.

Henry favored his main mistress, Diane de Poitiers, who had a tremendous influence on him, and did not allow Catherine to get involved in administrative affairs.

As the mother of the frail 15-year-old King Francis II, Katharina was pushed to the top of politics after Henry’s death in 1559. After the death of Francis II in 1560, she was given far-reaching powers and assumed the role of regent on behalf of her 10-year-old son, King Charles IX.

Catherine was crucial to the rule of Henry III, her third son, after Charles died in 1574. It was only in her final months that he broke with her advice and outlived her by seven months.

rise to power

Catherine’s three sons ruled France during a period of almost constant political and religious strife. The monarchy dealt with challenging issues. However, Catherine maintained at least a basic level of organization in the institutions of government, including the monarchy.

Catherine first turned to the rebellious Calvinist Protestants, or Huguenots as they were later called, and made concessions and compromises with them. However, she was not fully aware of the theological issues driving her movement. Later, fueled by anger and frustration, she began enforcing strict rules against them.

In return, she had to answer for the persecutions carried out under the direction of her sons, in particular the massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day in 1572, which killed scores of Huguenots in Paris and the rest of France.

Although some historians exonerate Catherine for the harshest of royal decisions, her letters serve as additional evidence of how tough she was. In fact, the legacy of civil wars had always limited their authority. It is unlikely that without Catherine her sons would have retained power.

Meet the cast of The Serpent Queen

Samanta Morton as Catherine De’Medici

Catherine de’Medici is portrayed by English actress Samantha Morton, a BAFTA and Golden Globe winner. Morton had established himself as a major player in the independent film industry by the early 2000s.

She starred in the films In America (2003), for which she received a second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, and Morvern Callar (2002), for which she won the BIFA Award for Best Actress.

Morton began her career in British television in 1991 as a member of the Central Junior Television Workshop in her hometown of Nottingham.

She had guest appearances in two Cracker episodes, four Soldier Soldier episodes and one Peak Practice episode in 1994. She appeared in and had a major role in twelve episodes of the ITV series Band of Gold (1995–1996).

Liv Hill as young Catherine

Getting two actors to play exactly the role is quite challenging. The most important thing to emphasize in retelling Catherine’s story is how young she was when she was ripped from her life, thrown before this court and forced to consummate her marriage in front of a sizeable crowd of strangers.

To understand what she accomplished to survive, you must first understand how small she was when she was originally given the task. Apparently, after attending an audition, Liv was the one who stood out as the tallest.

She is known for her roles as Sarah in the 2017 BBC drama Three Girls and the 2017 British film Jellyfish.

Amrita Acharia as Aabis

Actress Amrita Acharia, Norwegian, English and Ukrainian, is Aabis. Aabis was chosen to travel to France with Catherine de Medici when she married Henri and became part of their company.

Aabis possessed a beauty that often aroused the desires of powerful men and made her everything that Catherine was not. Once at the French court, Aabis made Catherine jealous. At first she was grateful that Catherine had saved her from the rapacious Pope Clemens.

Acharia started his acting career in 2010 with supporting roles in TV shows and short films. In the 2011 season of Game of Thrones, she played Irri, the Dothraki servant of Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen.

Lee Ingleby as Prince Henry

Prince Henry is played by Lee Ingleby. Henri seemed to be the ideal prince every young woman dreams of. Henri was troubled from an early age that his father had taken him and his brother, the Dauphin Francois, hostage in Spain and used them as political pawns.

Lee is known for his roles as Detective Sergeant and Detective Inspector John Bacchus on the BBC series Inspector George Gently. He also played the role of Stan Shunpike in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In the BBC drama The A Word he played Paul Hughes, the father of Joe, a teenager with autism.

Enzo Cilenti as Ruggieri

Enzo Cilenti plays Cosimo Ruggeri, an Italian occultist and astrologer who advises Catherine de’Medici. In 1998, Cilenti made his debut as Antonio Bellini in the television series Trial & Retribution.

He portrayed Carlo Franceschini in a supporting role in the BBC spy drama MI-5 and Lenny in a supporting role in the 2001 comedy Late Night Shopping.

Cilenti has also appeared in various films and television programs including The Theory of Everything, Supercollider, Guardians of the Galaxy and Prisoners’ Wives.

Charles Dance as Pope Clement

Pope Clement VII, a two-time SAGA champion, is Catherine’s uncle and the one who plans her marriage, portrayed by English actor Charles Dance.

He was chosen to lead the Catholic Church, not because of strong religious beliefs, but because the Medicis realized that in order to rule successfully, they had to select a member of their own family for the post.

In his capacity as Catherine’s guardian, he arranged her marriage to the French prince. He paid little heed to his bogus promises, such as the offer of a hefty dowry, leaving Catherine to bear the effects of his behavior.

Dance has built a remarkable career since making his film debut in 1974. One of his first significant roles was in the 1984 drama The Jewel in the Crown, in which he played Guy Perron. He played dr. Jonathan Clemens, a central role in the 1992 film Alien 3.

George Jaques as Francis II & Kiruna Stamell as Mathilde

Francis II, the firstborn of Catherine de’Medici and monarch from 1559 to 1560, is George Jaques. Jaques recently appeared as a German soldier in the 2022 suspense film directed by Agatha Christie. In addition to filming the television series A Town Called Malice, he is also completing post-production on his next film, Surprised by Oxford, and his forthcoming film, Film.

In the convent where Catherine de Medici grew up, Mathilde, a tiny part played by actress Kiruna Stamell, was employed as a servant. Because she accompanied Catherine when she entered the French court, Mathilde owed Catherine her freedom.

Given Catherine’s innate moral irrationality, Mathilde was a perfect match for her. Moulin Rouge is well known in Kiruna. (2001), The Best Deal (2013) and EastEnders (1985). (1985).

The Serpent Queen was mainly filmed in Italy and France

Colm Meaney as King Francis

Because of his inflated ego, insatiable appetite, and past military prowess, Colm Meaney portrays King Francis as violent, arrogant, and easy on power.

The actor, who portrayed Thomas Durant in the film Hell on Wheels, also had cameo appearances on shows such as Law & Order and The Simpsons (2011-2016).