Where was Amadeus shot? Revisiting the filming locations of the new historical series

Sky's historical drama, Amadeus, is a historical miniseries that introduces the spectator to the fascinating and adventurous life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a brilliant composer.

Will Sharpe and Paul Bettany delivered amazing performances. The series is based on Mozart's life in eighteenth-century Vienna. It also shows his tense relationship with Salieri, the royal composer. The shooting period of the series was from May 2024 to September 2024.

However, viewers were surprised to learn that the scenes in the TV show were not shot in Vienna proper. Instead, the series selected Budapest, Hungary, as one of its main shooting locations. This was a financially viable option, and period architecture can be seen throughout Budapest.

Read more about the story.

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Budapest stands for Vienna

It had been both an economic and practical decision to shoot in Budapest instead of Vienna. Things were not easy, as the production designer observed that they could not shoot in Vienna due to the lack of proper locations and up-to-date infrastructure.

Budapest provided an excellent replacement, with buildings and streets from the eighteenth century that might readily be mistaken for those in ancient Vienna. The production designer, Morgan Kennedy, says,

“From my point of view, the design of Amadeus … about Amadeus, but …. moulded version of the story.”

He continued,

"The result is a visual feast with decadent chandeliers, Baroque architecture, thick curtains and drapes, gregarious wallpapers and towering wigs, all evoking eighteenth-century Vienna."

The city is beautiful. Hungary has a vibrant film industry, professionals, construction teams, and production companies. Budapest was also a solid economic choice for the production crew that developed the motion picture due to its substantial tax breaks.

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Grand Palaces tell Amadeus Mozart's story

The Eszterháza Palace in Fertőd, Hungary, was the ideal setting for filming. The large palace was Emperor Joseph's home. Eszterháza is the biggest Rococo building in Hungary. It is about two hours from Budapest and has one hundred and twenty-six rooms. The crew painted the palace like a royal residence, with exposed scaffolding to reflect the Emperor's ongoing renovations.

Additionally, the production designer chose Budapest's City Park's Vajdahunyad Palace for a pivotal scene in which Salieri first hears Amadeus perform. Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architectural styles are all combined in this beautiful fortress.

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Character homes built with historical care

Amadeus has several homes shot at actual palaces or built on sets, depending on the emotional process of the characters. Salieri's home was shot at Ráday Palace in Pécel, located forty minutes outside Budapest. Despite his seeming success, Salieri's internal downfall was aptly depicted by this dilapidated palace, which was ravaged by fire in 1825.

The production designer painted the palace in dark and brooding colors to mirror what was happening inside Amadeus's rival. The Webers' apartment, where Amadeus meets Constanze, was built as a set based on historical research. The crew selected peacock-themed wallpaper in Mozart's living quarters to depict his bold, flamboyant demeanor throughout Amadeus.

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