Where was Hannibal filmed? All filming locations explored
Hannibal is an American crime drama horror-thriller television series created by Bryan Fuller, based on the characters of Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon. It stars Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas, Laurence Fishburne, Scott Thompson, among others.
It was broadcast from April 4, 2013, to August 29, 2015, on NBC. The pilot episode Apéritif was created by Bryan Fuller and directed by David Slade.
Hannibal was filmed at various locations across Toronto, including Casa Loma, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, Roy Thomson Hall, Bluffer's Park Beach, and the University of Toronto, as well as spots in Richmond Hill, Orangeville, and Scarborough.
Exploring the filming locations of Hannibal
1) Baltimore Psychiatric Hospital and Toronto filming
Although the television series is set in Baltimore, Maryland, the majority of episodes were filmed near Toronto, Canada.
One of the most recognizable locations in the series is the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where key characters like Will Graham and Lecter spend significant time. Much of the hospital's scenes were filmed on location at the David Dunlap Observatory in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
CGI extension assisted in converting the Canadian environment into the imaginary Baltimore hospital, with interior scenes being shot on location and utilizing the building's intimidating beaux-arts design. Just a short walk from this location is the recognizable telescope seen in several episodes of the series.
2) Baltimore home
Lecter's beautiful three-story house, established in the series as a Baltimore home, is something of television trickery. It belongs to St. Andrew's Church, directly across from Roy Thomson Hall on Simcoe Street in downtown Toronto.
These innovative location selection decisions enabled the series to have a consistent visual look and benefit from the city's historic structures and atmospheric environments in creating the show's atmosphere.
Although the show ran for only two years, from 2013 to 2015, its dense visual storytelling and painterly aesthetic enabled the show to build a devoted cult audience and receive critical success, with numerous critics considering it to be one of the best of the decade.
3) Florence filming locations – Palazzo and gardens
In season 3, the series changes completely in location and tone, taking its characters to Florence, Italy. Some actual locations were filmed in this story, namely the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, where Lecter is disguising himself as Dr. Fell.
This is the location for some of the most important scenes in the series, such as the gruesome murder of Inspector Pazzi and a violent fight between Lecter and Jack Crawford. Right next to the grounds of the palace is where Hannibal's new life is discovered by Antony Dimmond before the latter's death.
These historic Florentine sites, with their Renaissance grandeur, heighten the show’s gothic atmosphere and thematic complexity.
4) Other filming locations – piazzas and landmarks
Other Florence sites are the globally famous Uffizi Gallery, on which Primavera by Botticelli serves as the backdrop for a confrontation between Lecter and Will Graham.
Other central sites are the Piazza della Repubblica and Duomo, which appear during Bedelia's walks through the city. Although the gourmet shop "Vera Dal 1926" does not exist, it is an expression of the city's gastronomic tradition.
The show also makes use of the Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, Ponte Santa Trinita, and Piazza di San Lorenzo, where significant plot developments unfold, such as Hannibal’s escape after fighting Jack, and Inspector Pazzi’s final moments.
Through these layered, evocative settings, the TV show intertwines its dark psychological drama with the haunting beauty of its locations.
Plot overview of Hannibal
FBI profiler Will Graham is enlisted by Jack Crawford, head of the Behavioral Sciences of the FBI, to assist in solving a serial killer case in Minnesota. As the case weighs on Graham's mind, Crawford chooses to have him monitored by forensic psychiatrist Dr. Lecter.
First, the serial killer and closet cannibal Lecter works with the FBI behind the scenes. Lecter's relationship with Graham becomes problematic for his own survival. Lecter is intrigued by Graham's deep empathy for psychopathic killers and manipulates him in an effort to break his fragile sanity and transform him into a murderer.
The first two seasons of the show each won the Saturn Award for Best Network Television Series. Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy both received Best Actor honors, while Laurence Fishburne won Best Supporting Actor for his performance in season 2.
The third and last season also took home the inaugural Best Action-Thriller Television Series, while guest star Richard Armitage received Best Supporting Actor.
The series has been cultivated into a cult following and is rated by critics and fans alike as being one of the best series in the horror genre, as well as in all network television series.
Interested viewers can watch the TV show on Amazon Prime Video, AMC+, and Netflix.
