The European Film Academy recognizes the Tabernas desert as a Treasure of European Cinematographic Culture

Of the more than 300 stories that have had this desert as a setting, the golden age in the 60s and 70s stands out.

He Almeria desert of Tabernas, which between 1950 and 2020 has hosted the filming of more than 300 films in its natural settings, has just been recognized by the European Film Academy (EFA) with the distinction of Treasure of European Cinematographic Culture.

Sergio Leone, Steven Spielberg, Orson Welles, Burt Lancaster, Clint Eastwood, Richard Burton and Harrison Ford are just some of the directors and actors who have set foot in this Almeria desert, the only one on the Old Continent.

Of the more than 300 stories that have had this desert as a setting, the golden age stands out in the 60s and 70s, when Leone popularized the spaghetti western with the renowned dollar trilogy that brought Clint Eastwood to international fame with For a handful of dollars, death had a price and E.The good, the bad and the ugly. These titles were followed Until his time came, Shalako, 100 rifles, The condor y Sol rojor, among others, some from the saga of Bud Spencer and Terence Hill.

Lawrence of Arabia, Cleopatra, Conan the Barbarian, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Blueberry, The Daltons vs. Lucky, The Sisters Brothers and 800 Bullets, by Álex de la Iglesia, were also filmed in Tabernas, which hosts the Almería Western Film Festival, the only one of its kind in Europe.

with the title Treasure of European film culture, the EFA seeks to raise public awareness about places of a symbolic nature for European cinema, places of historical value that must be maintained and protected not only now but also for future generations.

“We are very proud of this distinction, which makes clear the extraordinary connection of our town to the history of cinema in general and European cinema in particular,” he stated. Jose Diaz, mayor of Tabernas. “This iconic location has no equal on the continent and its contribution to world cinema has been enormous,” highlighted the president of the European Academy, Mike Downey.

The Tabernas Desert, which has also been the set of the series Doctor Who, Black Mirror y Game of Thrones, is the twelfth location distinguished by the EFA, which has also described the Collegiate Church of Sant Vicenç in Cardona and the Plaza de España in Seville as treasures.

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