If you have watched The Equalizer 3 and found yourself staring less at Denzel Washington and more at the impossibly beautiful little town behind him — the sunlit piazza where Robert McCall sips his tea, the white church, the stone staircases climbing the cliff — you are not alone. The good news: that town is real, and you can walk straight into it. This is a complete guide to The Equalizer 3 filming locations, all of them on the Amalfi Coast, and how to visit them yourself.
Where Was The Equalizer 3 Filmed?
The Equalizer 3 (2023), directed by Antoine Fuqua, was filmed almost entirely on the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy. The film is set in a fictional town called Altamonte (sometimes written Altomonte), which the story places in Sicily — but the real filming happened here, on the Amalfi Coast, principally in the tiny village of Atrani, with additional scenes in Amalfi, Naples and at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios. Principal photography began in October 2022, when the production quietly took over one of the smallest towns in Italy.
Altamonte Is Really Atrani
The fictional Altamonte is, almost entirely, the very real village of Atrani — the smallest municipality in southern Italy, tucked into a cleft in the cliffs just a five-minute walk from the town of Amalfi. What makes Atrani perfect on screen is exactly what makes it special in person: it has barely changed in centuries. A maze of narrow lanes, arches and the characteristic scalinatelle (little staircases) all funnel down to one small square and a beach. The film changed almost nothing — it simply pointed the camera at the town as it is.
The Real Filming Locations in Atrani
- Piazza Umberto I — the heart of the film. This is the shaded square where McCall drinks his tea and where the story keeps returning, right up to the football celebrations at the end. The café in the film was created inside a real restaurant on the piazza.
- The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maddalena — the white church with the majolica dome that presides over the square and appears throughout the film.
- The lanes, arches and scalinatelle — the covered passageways and stone stairs McCall walks are the everyday streets of Atrani, not sets.
- The seafront and beach — Atrani’s small beach and waterfront frame several outdoor scenes.
The Clifftop Church: Santa Maria del Bando
The film’s most striking location is the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Bando, a small white chapel clinging to the rock high above Atrani. Reaching it means climbing roughly 700 steps — in the film, McCall’s slow walks up to it become a quiet symbol of his recovery. First recorded in 1187 and home to a fifteenth-century fresco, the sanctuary rewards the climb with one of the most breathtaking panoramas on the entire coast. It is a genuine hike, so wear proper shoes and take water.
Beyond Atrani: Other Amalfi Coast Locations
While Atrani carries most of the film, the production also used the neighbouring town of Amalfi and, for the tenser urban sequences, the city of Naples, with interior scenes completed at Cinecittà Studios in Rome. The Amalfi Coast clearly left its mark on the cast: Denzel Washington has spoken of holidaying in Italy for decades, and reportedly stayed in Amalfi and dined in Positano during the shoot — further proof, if any were needed, that this stretch of coast gets under your skin.
How to Visit the Equalizer 3 Filming Locations
Atrani is easy to reach and, unlike some film locations, completely free to explore — it is a living village, not an attraction — which is part of what makes visiting the Equalizer 3 filming locations so rewarding. Come by SITA bus (it is minutes from Amalfi), by car, or most memorably by sea. Give yourself at least half a day: an hour or two to wander the lanes and the piazza, plus the climb to Santa Maria del Bando if you are up for it. One request the locals would echo: it is a real home to real people, so explore gently. To build it into a wider day, see our roundup of things to do on the coast or arrive in style on one of the best Amalfi Coast boat tours.
The Amalfi Coast on Screen
Atrani and its neighbours have long drawn film-makers — the same village also featured in Netflix’s Under the Amalfi Sun. It is not hard to see why: nowhere invents a set this beautiful. If The Equalizer 3 put the Amalfi Coast on your list, our the film’s backdrop is only the beginning — start with our 7-day Amalfi Coast itinerary and the serene town of Ravello just above.
F.a.q (Frequently Asked Questions)
Where was The Equalizer 3 filmed?
The Equalizer 3 was filmed on the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy, principally in the small village of Atrani, with additional scenes in Amalfi, Naples and at Cinecitta Studios in Rome.
What is the town in The Equalizer 3 called?
In the film the town is the fictional Altamonte (also written Altomonte), set in Sicily. In reality it is Atrani, the smallest municipality in southern Italy, on the Amalfi Coast.
Can you visit the Equalizer 3 locations?
Yes. Atrani is a real, living village and free to explore. You can see Piazza Umberto I, the church of Santa Maria Maddalena, the stone staircases and, with a climb of about 700 steps, the clifftop sanctuary of Santa Maria del Bando.
Was The Equalizer 3 filmed in Sicily?
No. The story places the town in Sicily, but the filming took place on the Amalfi Coast, mainly in Atrani, plus Naples and Rome. No significant filming was done in Sicily.
What is the church in The Equalizer 3?
Two churches feature: the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maddalena on Atrani main square, and the clifftop Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Bando high above the village, reached by around 700 steps.
How do you get to Atrani?
Atrani is a five-minute walk from Amalfi and is served by SITA buses along the coast road. You can also reach the area by ferry to Amalfi, or by boat tour, and then continue on foot.
