Introduction
In the mid-60s, the Tabernas desert in the province of Almeria became the temple of the spaghetti western. Sergio Leone, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, Brigitte Bardot, and later Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford: a host of stars have trodden its arid soil and been seduced by its Wild West airs.
Today, it's Valencia that attracts them.
The region is establishing itself as a hub for (super)productions from all over the world. It is increasingly used as a backdrop for commercials or Netflix series, such as Respira, a remake of ER that was a hit at the end of 2024.
In the spring of 2025, Terreta, the region's nickname(rings a bell?), was brought to life on Disney+ with the release of season 2 ofAndor, a critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated spin-off of the Star Wars universe.
Valencia, the ideal backdrop for the rebellion against the Galactic Empire
Caption: Andor filming in 2022
Credit: FilmValencia
City of Arts and Sciences
If you're a Star Wars fan (follow my gaze 👀: Geoffroy - founder - Terreta, got it?), no need to give you the pitch... but for the rest of us, an update is in order.
Andor is the story of an ordinary man, played by Diego Luna, who becomes a rebel against an authoritarian regime, in a darkly realistic futuristic universe. And that's that. And it plays like a political thriller. You don't need to know everything about the saga's 38 (okay, 11) episodes, which can be watched out of order.
Caption: Diego Luna plays Cassian Andor in seasons 1 and 2 of Andor
Lucasfilms Ltd.- Image provided for press use only.
The second season of Andor, still by Lucasfilms (the production company of George Lucas, creator of Star Wars of course), was filmed in the heart of Valencia, mainly in the Cité des Arts et des Sciences. The cultural complex, with its totally futuristic architecture, seemed tailor-made for troopers and others. For the occasion, it became Coruscant, the political center around which the plot revolves.
For a behind-the-scenes look at the shoot, click here.
Credits: © Star Wars Espana
Designed by Santiago Calatrava and inaugurated at the end of the 1990s, the Cité des Arts is immense, extending over 350,000 m2 in the former bed of the Turia, the city's emblematic river. From a distance, it looks like a "giant dinosaur skeleton" to some tourists, a large ship to others.
Caption: Cité des Arts et des Sciences
Source : Unsplash
The team took up residence in the Cité between March and April 2023, filming every inch of the cultural center from every angle. A golden opportunity for the city to shine internationally.
Why Valence?
The beautiful city of Valencia ticks all the boxes for the world of film and television. Unique settings, modern infrastructures, a favorable economic environment, 300 days of sunshine a year and local production know-how: the Valencian Community has it all, and its audiovisual production ecosystem is booming.
What are the economic and social benefits for the city?
According to Forbes magazine, the Hollywood blockbuster cost more than $645 million over the two seasons, and the economic and social spin-offs in Valencia have been significant!
Filming on this scale inevitably creates jobs: technicians are needed, as are craftsmen, and 700 extras have been hired by the production. In short, welcoming Hollywood into your home town boosts business and services (hotels, restaurants, equipment rental companies) and, icing on the cake, creates incredible tourism leverage. Especially for an Emmy-nominated series with fans all over the world.
Film tourism is becoming a trend in its own right. The country has already experienced this with the filming of Game of Thrones in Peñíscola (still in the Valencian Community) or in Cáceres, Extremadura.
Xàtiva Castle
Caption: Andor scene, season 2, shot atXàtivacastle
Source ElDiario.es, credit Lucasfilms Ltd, image provided for press use only.
Located an hour south of the capital of the Valencian Community, Xàtiva Castle was also the setting for the series. The double fortress (there are two castles) is extremely well preserved, and overlooks a sublime panorama 300 meters above sea level. Facing it, the Costera Valley and, in the distance, the Mediterranean. In short, a marvel, a testament to the region's rich past and a boon for the Lucasfilms teams. But that's not all...
Legend: Location of XàtivaCastle
Source : Google maps
Once again, the town of Xàtiva, its shops and infrastructure, benefited greatly from the filming. From now on, millions of viewers will be discovering it on their screens, from their living rooms.
Mayor Roger Cerdà is hoping for a "Cacéres effect", so that they too can discover it for real. Fingers crossed, may the force be with Xàtiva.
Caption: Xativa Castle
Source : Unsplash
