Where was Spartacus filmed? Explore the filming locations for the epic 1960 film and 2004 TV miniseries, from California and Spain to Bulgaria.
Spartacus has been having a very bad time with Rome for more than a century.
The historical Thracian gladiator became the subject of Howard Fast’s 1951 novel, which inspired both Stanley Kubrick’s sweeping Spartacus (1960) and the 2004 television miniseries.
The 1960 epic stars Kirk Douglas as the enslaved gladiator who leads a massive rebellion, opposite Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Tony Curtis, Charles Laughton, and Peter Ustinov.
The 2004 miniseries stars Goran Višnjić, Rhona Mitra, Angus Macfadyen, Alan Bates, Ian McNeice, and James Frain. And then came the Starz universe, which decided that apparently one Spartacus was nowhere near enough Spartacus.
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🏛️ Spartacus Filming Locations
The two major adaptations took radically different approaches to recreating ancient Rome.
⚔️ Spartacus (1960) Filming Locations
Spartacus (1960) went for maximum Roman spectacle, combining Universal Studios California’s enormous sets with real locations in California and Spain, including Death Valley, Hearst Castle, and the Spanish countryside around Madrid.
Death Valley provided the brutally convincing opening environment where Spartacus is forced to work as a slave in a mining camp. The former Ryan Borax mining camp stood in for the mines of Libya.
The luxurious home of Roman plutocrat Marcus Licinius Crassus borrowed William Randolph Hearst‘s actual palace, Hearst Castle, with the famous Neptune Pool becoming its spectacular entrance. It was the first movie granted permission to film at San Simeon.
Colmenar Viejo in Madrid, Spain, added larger-scale epic imagery for the film’s gigantic battle material. Dehesa de Navalvillar nearby supplied broad open terrain where thousands of Spanish Army personnel were used as extras portraying Roman soldiers.
The historic city and surrounding countryside of Alcalá de Henares helped expand the film’s Roman world. IriĂ©pal and Taracena in Guadalajara, Spain, provided the open Spanish landscapes needed for the film’s massive Roman world.
Universal Studios supplied the production’s enormous artificial Rome, including the specially constructed the Square of Warriors (Spartacus Square) specifically built for the film.
What was filmed here:
- Death Valley National Park, California: Opening mining-slave sequences.
- Ryan Borax Mine, Death Valley, California: Libyan mine camp environment.
- Zabriskie Point, Death Valley, California: Barren desert photography.
- Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California: Crassus’s Roman villa exteriors.
- Neptune Pool, San Simeon, California: Villa entrance and grounds.
- Colmenar Viejo, Madrid, Spain: Roman army battle formations.
- Dehesa de Navalvillar, Colmenar Viejo, Spain: Climactic battlefield sequences.
- Navalvillar countryside, Colmenar Viejo, Spain: Legion & rebel-army shots.
- Alcalá de Henares, Spain: Roman countryside sequences.
- Madrid countryside: Outdoor historical environments.
- Iriépal, Guadalajara, Spain: Roman landscape photography.
- Taracena, Guadalajara, Spain: Spanish countryside sequences.
- Universal Studios, California: Roman Senate & Square of Warriors.
What to see & do here:
- Death Valley National Park, California: Explore Badwater Basin & Artists Drive.
- Furnace Creek, California: Visit the visitor center and museum.
- Zabriskie Point, Death Valley, California: Catch sunrise over the badlands.
- Borax Museum, Furnace Creek, California: Historic mining remains.
- Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California: Tour the historic hilltop estate.
- Neptune Pool, San Simeon, California: Admire the famous marble pool.
- Casa Grande, San Simeon, California: Explore Hearst’s grand main building.
- San Simeon, California: Visit the coastal village nearby.
- Colmenar Viejo, Madrid, Spain: Explore the historic town center.
- Dehesa de Navalvillar, Colmenar Viejo, Spain: Walk the protected countryside.
- Sierra de Guadarrama, Madrid, Spain: Hike nearby mountain landscapes.
- Madrid, Spain: Combine filming sights with city attractions.
- Alcalá de Henares, Spain: Visit the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes.
- Magisterial Cathedral, Alcalá de Henares, Spain: See the historic cathedral.
- Universal Studios, California: Take the famous Studio Tour.
- Universal CityWalk, California: Browse restaurants & entertainment.
- The Wizarding World, California: Take a Harry Potter tour.
🛡️ Spartacus (2004) Filming Locations
The Spartacus (2004) series traded Hollywood’s giant backlot for Bulgaria, with the production basing itself around Sofia and constructing a substantial ancient world from scratch.
The miniseries used practical sets for its gladiator school, forts, villages, a villa, and a five-acre recreation of ancient Rome. Sofia, Bulgaria, became the main production hub with the surrounding countryside becoming the rural landscapes of southern Italy around 72 BC.
The filmmakers also constructed extensive practical sets near Sofia, built forts, villages, a gladiator school, and the villa belonging to its owner, while the five-acre ancient Rome set provided streets and other large-scale Roman environments.
What was filmed here:
- Sofia, Bulgaria: Main production base for the miniseries.
- Sofia countryside: Southern Italy-style rural landscapes.
- Roman sets: Gladiator school & training.
- Five-acre Roman set: Ancient Rome streets.
- Fort sets: Roman military & settlement.
- Village sets: Rural ancient-world sequences.
- Villa set: Gladiator school’s owner’s residence.
What to see & do here:
- Sofia, Bulgaria: Explore the historic city center.
- Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, Bulgaria: Visit Sofia‘s landmark cathedral.
- Boyana Church & Rila Monastery, Sofia, Bulgaria: Explore the UNESCO sites.
- Vitosha Mountain, Sofia, Bulgaria: Hike above the Bulgarian capital.
🏺 Spartacus FAQs
There’s considerably more Spartacus lore than one Roman senator probably wanted to deal with.
Is Spartacus based on a book? Who wrote Spartacus?
Yes. The 1960 film and 2004 miniseries are based on Howard Fast’s 1951 historical novel Spartacus, which became the source material for both screen adaptations.
Where is Spartacus set?
The story is primarily set in the Roman Republic during the Third Servile War, moving through locations including Capua, southern Italy, and the Roman military campaign against the rebels.
Where was Spartacus from? Where was he born?
Spartacus was from Thrace, a region covering parts of modern-day Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey. Ancient sources identify him as Thracian, but his exact birthplace is unknown.
Where was Spartacus trained to be a gladiator?
Ancient sources say Spartacus was sold and trained as a gladiator in Capua traditionally associated with the school of Lentulus Batiatus before the rebellion.
Where was Spartacus defeated? Where was Spartacus’s last battle?
Spartacus final battle and defeat by Marcus Licinius Crassus in the final phase of the Third Servile War, is traditionally identified with the Battle of the Silarus River in Southern Italy.
Where was Spartacus crucified? Where was Spartacus buried?
There’s no reliable evidence that Spartacus was crucified. After the final battle, thousands of captured rebels were crucified along the Appian Way. No authenticated grave of Spartacus has been identified.
How many Spartacus movies are there?
Spartacus screen adaptations include the 1913 Italian silent film, the landmark 1960 feature, and the 2004 television miniseries, alongside the later Starz television franchise filmed in Auckland, New Zealand, with Spartacus: House of Ashur continuing the studio-based production tradition.
Where was Spartacus filmed in 1960?
Spartacus (1960) was filmed mainly in California and Spain, with Universal Studios, Death Valley, Hearst Castle, and several locations around Madrid among the principal filming sites.
Who was in the Spartacus cast in 1960?
- Kirk Douglas: Spartacus
- Laurence Olivier: Crassus
- Jean Simmons: Varinia
- Tony Curtis: Antoninus
- Charles Laughton: Gracchus
- Peter Ustinov: Batiatus
- John Gavin: Julius Caesar
Who was in the Spartacus cast in 2004?
- Goran Višnjić: Spartacus
- Rhona Mitra: Varinia
- Angus Macfadyen: Crassus
- Alan Bates: Agrippa
- Ian McNeice: Batiatus
- James Frain: David
How many Spartacus TV series are there?
The Starz franchise consists of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Gods of the Arena, Vengeance, War of the Damned, and House of Ashur, plus a short companion motion-comic series.
What are the Spartacus series seasons?
Blood and Sand is Season 1, Vengeance is Season 2, and War of the Damned is Season 3; Gods of the Arena is a prequel miniseries, while House of Ashur is an alternate-history sequel.
What happened to Spartacus in Season 2?
The Starz series, Spartacus: Vengeance follows Spartacus and the escaped gladiators after the uprising at the end of Season 1.
Is Ashur Spartacus?
No. Ashur is a separate character in the Starz franchise, originally portrayed by Nick E. Tarabay; House of Ashur imagines an alternate timeline in which Ashur survives and gains control of a gladiatorial school.
What happened to the original Spartacus actor Andy Whitfield?
Andy Whitfield played Spartacus in Blood and Sand before Liam McIntyre assumed the title role for Vengeance following Whitfield‘s death in 2011.
What are some shows and movies like Spartacus?
- Quo Vadis (1951): Roman power meets Christian resistance.
- Ben-Hur (1959 & 2016): Prince survives slavery and seeks justice.
- The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964): Roman politics amid imperial conflict.
- I, Claudius (1976): Imperial Rome seen through Claudius’s eyes.
- Gladiator (2000): Exiled general battles Rome‘s corrupt emperor.
- 300: Rise of an Empire (2006): Spartan warriors make a legendary stand.
- Rome (2005-2007): Roman politics collide with personal ambition.
- The Last Legion (2007): Young emperor flees collapsing Roman rule.
- Centurion (2010): Roman soldiers fight behind enemy lines.
- The Eagle (2011): Roman soldier searches for lost legion.
- Pompeii (2014): Gladiator races against Mount Vesuvius‘s eruption.
- Domina (2021-2023): Livia rises through Rome‘s imperial power.
- Those About to Die (2024): Gladiators fight for survival in Rome.
📺 Where to Watch Spartacus
Where is Spartacus streaming? Here’s where to find this classic Roman epic.
- ➡️ Stream Spartacus (1960) movie on Prime Video
- ➡️ Own Spartacus (1960) movie on 4K/Blu-ray/DVD
- ➡️ Own Spartacus (2004) series on DVD/Blu-ray.
From the sun-baked landscapes of California and Spain in Spartacus (1960) to the sprawling Roman sets and countryside around Sofia in Spartacus (2004), each production found its own way to bring the ancient world to life.
Different locations, different decades, but the same epic story of Spartacus‘s rebellion.
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is provided for entertainment purposes only. We don’t guarantee the accuracy of any of these facts and don’t recommend making important life decisions based on them. All referenced titles, names, and related intellectual property are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.
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