Where was The Great filmed? Guide to ALL the Filming Locations

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HBO's 2019 Catherine the Great historical drama told us the story of the last triumphal years of the longest-reigning female Russian ruler.

On the other hand, Hulu's 2020 The Great is a satirical comedy, now back for season two, about the arrival of this young lady to the court.

The production didn't touch Russian soil; The Great was almost entirely filmed in England, and occasionally, in Italy.

Elle Fanning as Catherine The Great

This is the tsarina who -historical spoiler!- expanded the country and brought the kingdom to a new age of enlightenment.

But, how much is real in this occasionally true story? In general terms, the series is right.

But obviously, lots of facts and details have been changed or omitted for the sake of the drama (like the fact that Catherine spent 18 long years at court before reign). So don't rely on this if you have a history test.

The show is starring model and actress Elle Fanning (Maleficent, All the Bright Places) as the young Catherine, and Nicholas Hoult (The Favourite, Tolkien) is the despot Russian Emperor, Peter.

This is our grand guide to the filming locations of the Hulu series:

The Great Palace Location
The dazzling Royal Palace of Caserta in the south of Italy provided some of the grandest locations for the court palace of Saint Petersburg.

The Reggia di Caserta was projected by the King of Naples during the mid-18th century to rival in magnificence and grandeur with Versailles.
(You can open all the locations on Google Maps by clicking on the links below in the captions ↴)
Image courtesy of Hulu and Tango 7174 - Map


The palace interiors
The interior courtyard, the great fountain in the gardens, the theater, the marble staircase, and the scenes with the Peter the Great statue astride a bear were all filmed in Caserta.

Cast and crew took over the palazzo historical apartments and the English garden for five days, for a sequence that required over a hundred extras.


Where was The Great filmed
In several scenes, the actors go up and down the corridor where the mummy of Catherine I of Russia is shown on exhibition.

This is the Long Gallery of Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, England. This Jacobean-style country manor is also the Enola Holmes house - you probably have seen it in other movies and TV shows including Wonder Woman, Trust, or Taboo.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Esther Westerveld - Map


The Great Drehort
The council room of Peter III was filmed at the Marble Hall, also located in Hatfield House.

The wedding from the first episode was recorded here, in the Old Banqueting Hall.

If you can afford it, you can celebrate your marriage here, as the estate is open in normal circumstances to host all kinds of events and celebrations.


The Great house
However, production designer Francesca di Mottola revealed to us that not all the State Room scenes were filmed at Hatfield House Grand Hall.

Most of the scenes in the Long Hallway were filmed on a set built at 3 Mills Studios in central London.

Only episodes one and two of season one were shot on location at Hatfield House.


Belvoir Castle scene
Some of the rooms are from the Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire. The Regent’s Gallery is a lovely 17th-century drawing room.
Image courtesy of Netflix and It's No Game - Map


Garden sequences in Castle Howard
Also, we spotted that some garden scenes and rooms (the Antique Passage with sculptures) were filmed at Castle Howard, an impressive stately home and private residence located near York.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Allan Harris - Map


The court of Sweden palace by the lake
The diplomatic meeting with the Swedish royals in episode eight, Meatballs at the Dacha, was filmed at Hever Castle's Loggia Terrace.

Located in the village of Hever, Kent, The Loggia in the lake features a 100 years old Nymph’s Fountain inspired by the world-famous Trevi Fountain in Rome.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map


The Great palace
Many scenes of the palace in the second season were filmed at the red brick courtyard and the grand Baroque staircase at the Hampton Court Palace in East Molesey.

This impressive Tudor royal palace with elegant cobbled courtyards and 750 acres of historic parkland is located 12 miles southwest of central London on the River Thames.

Hampton Court Palace is also one of the top locations where the Bridgerton series was filmed.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map


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