Fire Breaks Out At Italy’s Cinecittà; Destroys Part Of Renaissance Florence Set; Briefly Disrupts Netflix’s ‘Old Guard 2’ Shoot

Fire broke out at Italy’s historic Cinecittà Studios on Monday afternoon (August 1), destroying part of an old set depicting Renaissance Florence, which was in the process of being dismantled, and disrupted Netflix film Old Guard 2.  

Local media reported the fire was declared mid-afternoon and that plumes of smoke could be seen for miles around.

Three fire-fighting teams were dispatched to the scene and managed to get the blaze under control by early evening.

A Cinecittà Studios spokesperson said late Monday that the fire was under control and that there had been no injuries or serious damage done to the site. The cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained.  

The threat of fires spinning out of control is particularly acute in Europe at the moment amid record-breaking temperatures this summer.

After a brief respite, a fresh heatwave is forecast to hit southern Europe in the coming week with temperatures expected to top 104F (40C) once again in Rome.

In 2007, a blaze ripped through one of the Cinecittà warehouses destroying props and scenery for the HBO-BBC big budget drama Rome.

The studios were founded in 1937 and have hosted a raft of historic productions from Ben Hur to Federico Fellini’s Dolce Vita, to more recently Paolo Sorrentino’s The Young Pope.

The complex has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years thanks to Italy’s generous tax incentive scheme for incoming productions which has encouraged a raft of high-end shows to shoot there.