“The sunrises over the Dolomites were breathtaking”: Views from actor Sarah Gadon’s Italian honeymoon

Who: Sarah Gadon, actor (Cosmopolis, Enemy) Where: Italy When: October 2022

My husband, Max, and I got married last September in Picton. We wanted to go on a honeymoon, but I had to finish filming Ferrari in Italy, so I brought Max with me to travel around when we could. My filming schedule was unpredictable, so we were planning the trip as we went.

We landed in Rome and spent three nights there. Max is an industrial designer, and we’re both interested in architecture, so we were blown away by the Pantheon. He told me that it’s one of the most copied pieces of architecture in the world.

After that, we spent a few nights in Modena, where the shooting for Ferrari was based. We stayed at Casa Maria Luigia, a B&B owned by Italian chef Massimo Bottura, who appeared on Chef’s Table. It’s a converted country estate with only a few rooms. We had an incredible 12-course tasting menu with wine in a private room, and Massimo plated a couple of dishes in front of us. He’s a larger-than-life character who was very generous and kind, and he loves love. The next evening, he arranged for us to have a romantic dinner in the private wine cellar of his main restaurant in Modena, Osteria Francescana, even though the place was booked up for a year in advance. It was hands-down the best meal of my life.

The next part of Ferrari was shooting in Brescia, in northern Italy. I had two days of work, then Max and I had a week off together. We went to the Dolomites and stayed at a hotel called Forestis. When we arrived, we were amazed by the gorgeous mountain views. The hotel did guided walks every day through the mountains, arriving at a clearing where we’d do stretches and breathing exercises. We spent the week going on hikes, exploring the area and just vegging out.

I had a final few days of shooting in Piemonte, and while I was working, Max explored the local wineries. We’d watch the sunrise every morning together before I went to work, and I’d watch the sunset over the vineyards in the evening. Every time, it was breathtaking. We also drove down to the Prada outlet near Bologna and did some shopping—this was the Prada store, right next to the factory, and you needed a ticket to get in. I bought a trench coat that I love.

After the movie wrapped, we spent a couple of days in Milan. We’re starting a home renovation soon, and there were some vintage furniture shops that we wanted to check out, like Compasso, which is in a huge warehouse just outside the city. We found a vintage couch that I’m obsessed with, plus a lot of beautiful milk glass lighting fixtures.

Overall, I’m happy with how our honeymoon panned out. We did all the things we wanted to do—but also left space for magic to happen.