Italy is one of the most special countries to experience romance, with passionate people, delicious food, architectural wonder, a seductive language and an appreciation for art.
This place has all the ingredients for great love stories. Movies and television have leveraged these virtues to create great romance narratives that melt hearts around the world. If you want to have a marathon this February 14 on Netflix, check out these romances set in Italy (completely or partially) that you must not miss.
From Scratch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBHKSQ4MrJE
This series, starring Zoe Saldaña and produced by Reese Witherspoon, is inspired by real-life events. It is one of Netflix’s most recent productions and has been responsible for making many viewers seek out more content made in Italy.
The beautiful romantic story, where Italian food is given special prominence, shows us a sweet love that has to break down many barriers. And no spoiler intended: prepare tissues almost from the beginning because you will definitely cry.
Although it is a bitter sweet drama, you will never regret watching this beautiful love story.
Life is Beautiful
I saw Life is Beautiful (La vita è bella) for the first time 25 years ago, just before Roberto Benigni (director, screenwriter and actor) jumped through the chairs at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles to receive his Oscar.
Guido (Roberto Benigni) showed us the sacrifices and ingenuity of a father during World War II. He made us cry, laugh and have hope in humanity. His performance was so powerful that Benigni won the Oscar that year, against great actors such as Tom Hanks (Saving Private Ryan), Ian McKellen (Gods and Monsters), Nick Nolte (Affliction) and Edward Norton (American History X).
The also winner of the Oscar for best foreign film is a true gem of Italian cinema. Guido and Dora’s love is capable of proving what true love is like.
An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts
When February arrives, many people begin to evaluate their love life. Will it be a Valentine’s Day with a partner or alone? Can singles find their ideal partner in a few days? Netflix is helping with this task through the series An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts based on the Italian book of the same name.
Does astrology really have ways to get the most compatible couples? Although it is a very extensive subject that requires a lot of study, this fictional story, written by Silvia Zucca, makes us assimilate the basic topics of astrology through comedy. We won’t become experts, but we will get facts and ideas about what we should or shouldn’t do.
The Invisible Thread
The Invisible Thread could be just another romantic comedy, but it exposes some deeper issues of inequality in the LGBTQ community that makes it stand out among Netflix’s catalog.
Leone, a 16-year-old Italian boy, tells his life story, dives into first love and suffers with family complexities. As he tries to reveal his own identity, he narrates the separation of his parents, the years of struggle for equal marriage and the legal issues of being the son of two fathers — since according to Italian law it was not allowed for two men to be the parents of a child in the past.
Generation 56k
A childhood sweetheart returns to show us how it is never too late to live your great love story. The ups and downs of the main characters, coincide with flashbacks to the past, where they not only experienced the first times they fell in love, but they also started to explore the novelties of the internet, which can make many of us relate.
This series will grab you from the first moment and will enter your list: Netflix should make a second season — although they probably won’t listen to these requests.
Love and Gelato
If you were born outside Italy and would love to fall in love in one of its cities, you identify very much with Lina, a young woman who starts a journey to find herself while walking through the same streets that her mother had, years earlier.
After losing her mother, Rome doesn’t seem very attractive to Lina. But gradually she gets to know herself, making friends, finding love and appreciating the good food made by the nonna, especially the Pistachio ice cream.