Where it was filmed
Filming took place between Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Piedmont. The production chose Cimolais, in the province of Pordenone, for the scenes set in rural Friuli, thanks to its intact and timeless landscapes. Cervignano del Friuli also hosted some filming. For the part set in the Piedmontese capital, iconic places such as Piazza Castello, the Subalpina Gallery, Valentino Park and the Crocetta district were used, which perfectly represent the industrial atmosphere of the city in the post-war period.
The plot
The series tells the saga of the Sartoris through three generations, from 1917 to 1978. It all begins with Maurizio, a soldier who abandons the front after Caporetto and finds refuge in Friuli thanks to Nadia Tassan. From their meeting a family was born that would span sixty years of Italian history, moving from the Friulian mountains to the Turin of the FIAT factories. The story intertwines personal events with the great events of the twentieth century: fascism, resistance, reconstruction, tensions of the seventies.
The cast
The protagonists include Andrea Arcangeli as Maurizio, Linda Caridi as Nadia, Maurizio Lastrico and Matteo Martari play the sons Gabriele and Renzo. The cast is completed by Diane Fleri, Benedetta Cimatti and Romana Maggiora Vergano in the role of Eloisa, a niece who embraces anarchist ideas.
Programming
Five Sunday appointments on Rai 1, starting on 4 January and broadcast until 1 February 2026. The episodes are available on RaiPlay in streaming.
The series, directed by Daniele Luchetti and Valia Santella, is inspired by the novel by Giorgio Fontana, winner of the 2014 Campiello Prize.
“Before us”: on Rai 1 the unmissable TV series that tells 60 years of our history (between world wars and workers’ struggles)
