The Continental Shift: From the English Countryside to Italian Lake Drama
The first season of The Gentlemen immersed us in a universe of decaying British aristocracy, where the stately manors of Gloucestershire and the hunting estates of Wiltshire served as fronts for a lucrative cannabis empire. In this second installment, creator and director Guy Ritchie decides to expand the board. Although the scent of oak, leather, and Scotch whisky still permeates the atmosphere, the narrative shifts toward Southern Europe, seeking the radical contrast offered by the landscapes of Northern Italy. The result is an aesthetic thriller where the blinding Mediterranean light and the opulence of the pre-Alpine lakes only accentuate the shadows of an increasingly complex and ruthless criminal plot.
This geographical displacement is no mere scenic whim. For Ritchie, architectural space functions as another character, a reflection of the ambitions and secrets of his protagonists. By crossing the Alps, the series temporarily abandons the sobriety of English limestone to embrace the marble, baroque frescoes, and exuberant vegetation of Italian villas. However, beneath this postcard-perfect facade of extreme sophistication, beats the same violent and satirical pulse that characterizes the British filmmaker. The lakes of Northern Italy, historically associated with the leisure of royalty and global fortunes, become the stage for tense negotiations and dangerous alliances.
“The sophistication of the Italian lakes does not neutralize the danger; on the contrary, it wraps it in a layer of beauty so dazzling that it becomes almost hypnotic.”
Villa del Balbianello and the Magnetic Pull of Lake Como
The epicenter of this new visual odyssey is undoubtedly Lake Como. Among the various locations chosen to film the season’s most pivotal scenes, the iconic Villa del Balbianello stands out. Situated on the tip of the Lavedo peninsula in the municipality of Lenno, this late 18th-century estate is famous for its terraced gardens that plunge vertically into the deep waters of the lake. The production team masterfully utilized the villa’s imposing loggia, crowned by two columns and decorated with a carved wind rose on the floor, to film key encounters between the British protagonists and the new continental crime syndicates.
To visit Villa del Balbianello is to step into a setting that feels suspended in time. Its gardens, manicured with surgical precision, feature dome-shaped holm oaks, classical statues, and an art collection that belonged to its last owner, the explorer Guido Monzino. In the series, this space represents the pinnacle of aesthetic power: a place where decisions affecting millions of euros are made with an espresso in hand, overlooking the Alps reflected in the water. The transition from daylight, which highlights the ochre tones of the facade, to the villa’s nighttime illumination creates an atmosphere of mystery that perfectly matches the dark comedy tone of the production.
The Decadent Splendor of Lake Garda and Its Floating Palaces
Como does not claim all the Italian glory. The production of The Gentlemen also moved its cameras to Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake, known for its clear waters and near-Mediterranean microclimate. Here, the series sets some of its most dynamic sequences on the spectacular Isola del Garda. This private island, home to an impressive Venetian neo-Gothic villa built in the early 20th century, offers a fascinating architectural contrast to the more classical villas of Como. With its pointed arches, crenellated towers, and Italian-and-English-style gardens, the island appears on screen as the impregnable refuge of one of the season’s new antagonists.
Filming on Isola del Garda required complex logistics, transporting technical and artistic crews on historic boats across the lake. The visual payoff is superb: wide shots showing the silhouette of the palace emerging from the water like a stone mirage, surrounded by cypresses and palm trees. The series constantly plays with this duality between natural beauty and the moral corruption of those who inhabit these spaces. The villa’s interior rooms, decorated with antique tapestries, Murano glass chandeliers, and fine woods, serve as the frame for sharp dialogues where aristocratic courtesy barely conceals threats of violence.
The British Estates That Remain: Keeping the Ancestral Connection
Despite the dazzling Italian interlude, the series does not forget its roots. The umbilical cord to the United Kingdom remains strong through several key locations returning in this second season. The majestic Badminton House, located in the heart of Gloucestershire, once again lends its exteriors and interiors to represent the ancestral home of the Halstead family. This estate, the real-life seat of the Dukes of Beaufort, is the epitome of English Palladian architecture, with its vast salons adorned with equestrian portraits and monumental fireplaces that contrast sharply with the lightness of the Italian villas.
The contrast between Northern Italy and Western England structures the season’s visual rhythm. While scenes in the Italian lakes are dominated by vibrant blues, golds, and greens, the return to the English countryside recovers a palette of autumnal tones, grays, and deep browns. This round trip underscores the series’ central thesis: no matter how far the protagonists travel or how exotic the landscapes they visit, the weight of tradition, family obligations, and British heritage always claims its due. Other English locations, such as the estates of Loseley Park in Surrey, also make appearances, consolidating that atmosphere of ancestral wealth that Ritchie handles so well.
“True luxury is not just owning the land, but having the power to decide which secrets are buried within it, whether beneath English turf or at the bottom of an Italian lake.”
The Ritchie Aesthetic: How Architecture Narrates Power and Decay
The production design of this season, led by a team that understands space as an extension of character psychology, uses locations to tell stories that the script sometimes leaves unsaid. In the scenes shot in Italy, large windows overlooking the lake and open terraces suggest a false sense of freedom and security. However, the symmetry of the Renaissance gardens and the rigidity of classical architecture act as a golden cage for the characters, who find themselves trapped in a web of global deceit from which escape is impossible.
Conversely, the English locations, with their narrow corridors filled with antiques, dark libraries, and basements converted into high-tech labs, convey a sense of claustrophobia and deep-seated roots. Guy Ritchie delights in breaking the solemnity of these historic spaces by introducing pop culture elements, energetic music, and hyperactive editing. Watching a choreographed shootout in an 18th-century salon or a drug negotiation on a historic dock on Lake Como is the unmistakable signature of a director who enjoys profaning the temples of high society with the energy of modern gangster cinema.
In the Footsteps of the Aristocracy: How to Visit These Exclusive Estates
For travelers wishing to emulate the sophisticated (and legal) lifestyle of the show’s characters, many of these locations are open to the public. Villa del Balbianello is currently managed by the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI) and offers guided tours of its gardens and fascinating interior museum. Access is best made by boat from the town of Lenno, adding a touch of exclusivity and adventure to the experience, allowing visitors to enjoy the same panoramic views seen on screen.
Meanwhile, Isola del Garda remains the private property of the Cavazza family but opens its doors for exclusive guided tours between April and October. The visit includes a tour of the English and Italian-style gardens, some of the neo-Gothic villa’s rooms, and a tasting of olive oil produced right on the island. In the UK, while Badminton House remains a private residence, its gardens open to the public on select dates throughout the year, and Loseley Park offers regular tours of its historic house and famous walled gardens, ideal for those seeking to breathe in the authentic atmosphere of the British aristocracy.
The Contrast of Light: Photographing a Shadowy, Sophisticated Italy
One of the greatest achievements of this second season is avoiding the visual cliché of a sunny, cheerful Italy typical of romantic comedies. The cinematography utilizes filters that bring a cold, elegant patina to the northern landscapes. The waters of Lake Como are not shown in tropical blues, but in a deep cobalt, almost black in night scenes, suggesting that unspeakable secrets hide beneath the surface. The sunlight, though bright, casts long, dramatic shadows across the villa facades, reinforcing the noir character of the narrative.
This aesthetic choice aligns the series with the grand tradition of European thrillers, where the beauty of the surroundings serves as an ironic counterpoint to the moral ambiguity of the actions. Rides on classic wooden speedboats, such as the iconic Rivas crossing the lake in several scenes, are filmed not as leisure trips, but as tactical missions where every glance matters. It is this attention to visual detail that elevates The Gentlemen, turning every frame into a work of art where costume design, architecture, and lighting converge to create a unique sensory experience.
A Connoisseur’s Practical Guide to Northern Italy’s Cinematic Lakes
If watching the series inspires you to plan an escape to the Italian lakes, here are essential recommendations to design an itinerary worthy of the production:
- Getting There: Milan-Malpensa Airport is the main entry point. From there, Lake Como is just an hour away by car or train, while Lake Garda lies about two hours to the east.
- Where to Stay: For the ultimate experience, opt for historic hotels like the Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Como, a Belle Époque palace with direct views of Bellagio, or the Grand Hotel Fasano on Lake Garda, a former hunting lodge of the Austrian imperial family.
- Key Experiences: Charter a private Riva boat with a captain to tour the lake from the water and view the filming villas from the best possible perspective. Do not miss the gardens of Villa Carlotta and Villa Melzi d’Eril to understand the scale of 19th-century landscaping in the region.
- Gastronomy: Enjoy local cuisine that fuses freshwater fish with mountain flavors. In Como, book a table at restaurants offering traditional risotto with perch fillets, paired with a white wine from the nearby Valtellina region.
Ultimately, the second season of The Gentlemen not only cements Guy Ritchie’s talent for high-class entertainment but also stands as a superb visual love letter to the architecture and landscapes of Italy and the United Kingdom, proving that crime, when dressed in haute couture and set in historic palaces, is aesthetically irresistible.
Source: Condé Nast Traveler España
