Sky Atlantic’s British-Italian drama, Domina, is a historical television series centering around Livia Drusilla, an empress from Ancient Rome. With Simon Burke as the creator, Domina premiered on 14 May 2021.
The story of this intense series is a retelling of the politics that were in motion after the death of Julius Caesar. Domina is unique as it tells the story through the perspective of women that existed at the time. One of the most powerful women in power during the rise of ancient Rome was Livia Drusilla.
With Julius Caesar having been assassinated, the Roman civilization was in chaos, and everyone was trying to get power for themselves. That’s where Livia Drusilla comes in, a woman who cleverly and cunningly killed all of her enemies to make succession to the throne possible. The series is a must-watch for someone who’s into historical and political drama shows like Game Of Thrones.
Kasia Smutniak stars as the main character Livia, while Matthew McNulty plays the role of Guis. Other cast members of Domina include Ben Batt as Agrippa, Christine Bottomley in the role of Scribonia, Colette Dalal Tchantcho plays Antigone, and Claire Forlani plays Octavia.
This series has managed to produce two successful seasons documenting the life of Drusilla, and looking at the way they’re pacing the plot; we might get to see more of it in the future.
Domina: Filming Locations
Domina is rightfully a British-Italian series; as we see, the cast is from either of these locations. The majority of the actors are from Manchester. The Historical series was originally going to start its production in Rome back in 2019, but with the pandemic coming out of nowhere, the production of Domina had to be halted. Filming resumed in July 2020, with the major filming spot being Cinecittà Studios.
Cinecittà Studios, Rome, Italy
The filming location of Domina is just as intriguing as the show itself. The name of this place translates to Cinema City in Italian, as it’s a major filming spot for all kinds of films and TV shows. Spanning almost 99 acres, the set proves to be the perfect place for filming any project in Italy.
A show like Domnia, which takes place in Ancient Rome, has to have Cinecitta as its major filming spot as the place still gives off the perfect atmosphere of its previous eras. No other studio in Europe is as large as Cinecitta, as the studio was purposefully built this way to bring back the charm of the Italian film industry.
The large space offers different backgrounds for a Historical show like Domina, as at times we see them standing beside a building from Ancient Rome or enjoying lavishly inside the large monuments. These are all real spaces that were created previously in Cinecittà.
Cinecittà is known for hosting projects of famous and talented directors like Martin Scorsese, Roberto Rossellini, Luchino Visconti, Francis Ford Coppola, and many others. Built in 1937 by Benito Mussolini, the builders knew what they were doing, as they built it under the slogan that “Cinema is the most powerful weapon”.
Years down the line, Cinecittà Studios has been the prime filming location for movies and series like Rome (2005), Once Upon A Time In America (1984), The Godfather Part III (1990), and Cleopatra (1963). The Egyptians were also a part of this era in Ancient Rome, as before Julius Caesar’s death, Cleopatra and he had a relationship, and Cleopatra was in Rome.
Coming back to the Cinecittà studios, the place also has its own Theme park called Cinecittà World, which was made public in July 2014. If you want to have a look at the various production sets, costumes, and other historical objects, Cinecittà World is a good place to visit.
No moment is ever dull on Domina, and with its second season being released this year, the plot is only going to get more interesting. At present, Domina is available to watch at MGM+, Prime Video, Max, Apple TV, and YouTube TV.
Also Read: Blindspot Filming Locations: Where is the Suspense Drama Filmed?
