Where was Napoleon filmed? The amazing English locations of Ridley Scott's gripping historical epic.

Ridley Scott is fully back to the beginning of his career with his new historical epic film Napoleon. In his 1977 debut film, The Duelists, he addressed the period of Napoleonic France, but recreated it in the Dordogne region of France. This time around, with bigger battles and more French imperial history, the legendary director stayed put. Instead of France, the movie "Napoleon" was shot in England and Malta. "There's enough neoclassical architecture in England to make it possible," says Arthur Max, the film's production designer, "probably because a lot of the design coming from France and England is based on Italian classical Palladian architecture." Filming in the UK had obvious''s practical advantages during the pandemic, but also allowed the director to visit his favorite locations from previous films such as Gladiator. Let's walk through Ridley Scott's Napoleon itinerary below.

Bowton Palace, Northamptonshire

Built in the 17th century by the 1st Duke of Montague, a former ambassador to France, Boughton Palace makes no secret of its French influence, especially the palace of Versailles. The perfect place, you might say, to film Napoleon in March 2022 (not to mention the 2012 movie Les Misérables). "It looks like a French chateau on a beautiful estate, with hundreds of acres where sheep and horses graze and beautiful old oak trees everywhere," Max says. "The place is very special, so we decided to use it as a château''Napoleon'.

Les Bourne, Surrey

To recreate the Battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon's decisive victory over the Austrians and Russians in 1805, Ridley Scott revisited an old location - the Forest of Bourne in Surrey. It was here that he shot the opening battle in "Gladiator" as well as scenes in the 2010 film "Robin Hood." "It was like an old friend, an old pair of shoes," says production designer Arthur Max. "We used a lot of the same areas and spaces as before, but in a completely different way. "

Churn Farm, Oxfordshire

'Churn Farm sounds like the place to stage a battle, and Ridley Scott has done just that, taking advantage of a corner of the Oxfordshire countryside on James Dyson's agricultural estate -'' Dyson Farming Estate to stage its version of Waterloo. In April 2022, Napoleon set up on a farm called Marengo, and locals were warned of 'heavy machinery, cannons and gunfire' at the location to film a 'large-scale period battle scene'. Paths were rerouted, presumably to avoid curious strolling dogs bumping into the midst of Marshal Ney's cavalry onslaught.

Fort Ricasoli, Malta

Another old location Ridley Scott returned to for 'Napoleon' is an imposing 17th-century fort that appeared in 'Gladiator' and has been used in other historical epic''movies (he played the role of Red Castle in Game of Thrones). In the movie, it replaces the French port of Toulon, captured by Napoleon in 1793 with a military battle that helped it make a name for itself. Ironically, the Maltese fort itself was captured from the French in real life in 1798 and ended up in British hands. That's it, Boney!

Hankley Common, Surrey

Napoleon's infamous retreat from Moscow in 1812 needed a suitable location. And while "retreat from Surrey" doesn't sound all that pretty, Scott's team found a location near southwest London to film on the muddy paths of the Grand Army, standing on the edge of destruction, back to France. The filming took place in March 2022, so of course the snow is fake. Scott has already recreated these events once before in''s career - in the 1977 film The Duelists - snow was real at the time, as scenes filmed during the retreat from Moscow were shot in the Cairngorms mountains in Scotland.

Lincoln Cathedral Church, Lincolnshire

Replacing Notre Dame in Paris, Lincoln Cathedral Church in England was used for Napoleon's coronation. The cathedral choir was even brought in to sing in the scene.

Petworth House, West Sussex

A national treasure from the 17th century, Petworth House replaced Josephine's home, Chateau de la Ferté Beauharnais, in the movie. It was also the scene of the Victims' Ball, when wealthy survivors of the Terrors threw debauched parties. 'Garlands, remnants of the festivities, and people were to be hung deliciously and neatly around the house and''Moscow. Ridley is a master at this - you wonder how it would look different? But move a couple of pieces of furniture, change the lighting, camera angle and focus, and you'll never know. "

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