Game of Thrones fever is back, this time in the form of a prequel. From Cáceres to Lloret de Mar and from Monsanto to Granada, these are the places you will recognise in 'The House of the Dragon' on the Iberian peninsula.
The most eagerly awaited series of the year on HBO has finally come to screens and tells the story of the Targaryen house 200 years before the events recounted in the successful series on the American channel. This super-production (each episode has cost 20 million dollars) draws on the most special locations, with settings that hold a bit of history in all parts of the world.
So, where is House of the Dragon filmed? In the case of Spain, the series has chosen some locations to film several scenes from the first season. As with Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon has taken its actors to Girona, Granada and Extremadura. Let's find out more.
Santa Clotilde Gardens, Lloret de Mar (Girona)
When the series opens and the viewer is introduced to King Viserys I, his daughter and heir, Princess Rhaenrya, is seen in one of the most enchanting gardens overlooking the Mediterranean, namely the Santa Clotilde Gardens in Lloret de Mar (Girona). The production company Fresco Films (HBO's emissary in Spain) was commissioned to select the gardens, which cover some 27,000m2, for their Renaissance style and for their panoramic view of the sea, as they are located on a cliff between Cala Boadella and Fenals beach.
Trujillo
The city became the setting for Westeros. The village's main square, the Plaza Mayor is primarily features, presided over by a large statue of Francisco Pizarro, one of the best known and most visited places, which is transformed into a market full of stalls with a medieval aesthetic. The statue of the discoverer has been replaced by that of a dragon, in keeping with the theme of the series. Also in Trujillo, filming took place in La Alberca, an ancient 14-metre deep pool carved out of the rock.
Cáceres
HBO repeated Cáceres as a setting, after using the city as a backdrop for Game of Thrones. The Extremaduran city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lent 25 locations to filming, including Callejón del Gallo, San Mateo, Plaza de San Jorge (where a large statue with dragons was erected), Cuesta de la Compañía, Las Veletas and Calle Amargura. The city's Plaza de Santa María can be recognised in the first episode in a great night-time sequence shot, as well as the Cuesta de Aldana, one of the most picturesque parts of the city.
La Calahorra, Granada
Granada also has the wow factor that HBO is looking for in the locations of its new series. In La Calahorra, where the castle of La Calahorra is located, they filmed mainly night scenes and let us see many effects with fire, explosions and flames, which anticipates the presence of dragons in the corresponding scenes. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, Calahorra castle is privately owned. Dating from the 16th century, with a sober military appearance on the outside, it is considered one of the pioneers in the introduction of the Renaissance style in Spanish civil architecture, with a refined interior decoration for which materials, techniques and artists were imported from Italy.
Monsanto, Portugal
And it is not only Spain that has been a lure for this blockbuster, but also its neighbouring country, Portugal, specifically Monsanto, located on the top of a hill and with houses built directly on the rocks, Monsanto is one of the most unique villages in the country. With a past as an important defensive bastion and an appearance that has hardly changed since medieval times, the town and its ruined castle fit in perfectly with the aesthetics of the story that The House of the Dragon recreates.
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