Towards the end of Oliver’s stay, he and Elio spend three passionate days in Bergamo before Oliver returns to America.
Bergamo Alta and Bergamo Bassa
Bergamo is split into two distinct parts. The historical centre is known as Bergamo Alta (Upper Bergamo), while the newer area is Bergamo Bassa (Downtown Bergamo). Bergamo Alta is the old town, home to most of the city’s landmarks, while Bergamo Bassa is the modern residential area developed mainly in the 20th century.
All scenes from Call Me by Your Name filmed in Bergamo were shot in Città Alta, a place often highlighted in travel guides for its narrow streets, cafés, and historic piazzas.
Hotel Agnello d’Oro
After a day of hiking, Elio and Oliver check in to their hotel room at the Agnello d’Oro in Bergamo. Unfortunately, this hotel has since closed permanently.
Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore and Piazza Duomo
Elio looks on lovingly until the drinking gets the better of him. Oliver leads him down the stairs to Piazza Duomo, where the Duomo of Bergamo is located.
The fountain featured in this scene does not exist and was constructed specifically for the film.
Bergamo marks a turning point in the story, where Elio and Oliver’s love is openly and joyfully expressed. Several scenes show the two laughing, dancing, and wandering through the streets together. While strolling through Città Alta, visitors may recognise the doorway where Oliver dances happily with a female stranger.
A Change from the Novel
“One big change that came about because it would have been too expensive, was when the two boys go off on a little trip together toward the end of the story in the film. Originally, as in the novel, they were going to make a trip to Rome. It was an entire chapter of the novel and I just dropped that.
I thought we couldn’t do it, and I devised another kind of a little trip they’d make. The idea was they would have some time together away from the house. But that, too, was too expensive, so they had to think up another solution…”
— James Ivory, interview with The Hollywood Reporter
Bergamo Alta – Via Mario Lupo and Piazza Duomo
Bergamo Alta, with its classic and poignant beauty, provides the setting for one of the film’s most intimate moments. Elio and Oliver share a passionate kiss near the walls of the University of Science, Literature and Arts, creating an unforgettable scene for the audience.
André Aciman on the Memory of Place
“Every time I go back to Rome, I go back to that one spot.
It is still alive for me, still resounds with something totally present,
as though a heart stolen from a tale by Poe still throbbed under the ancient slate pavement
to remind me that, here, I had finally encountered the life that was right for me but had failed to have.”
— André Aciman, Call Me by Your Name
Related filming locations:
– Wonders of Crema
– Scenes around Cascate del Serio