Speaking to the press about the new season of The Diplomat, showrunner Deborah Cahn had long ago teased that there would be major surprises. Who knows if one of them could be the locations for The Diplomat 4: the eagerly awaited return of the political drama, from October 15 2026 on Netflix, is marked by a change of settings, which—from picturesque streets of a medieval historic center to imposing historic palaces and refined aristocratic villas—will certainly not go unnoticed.
Italian fans of the series, in particular, will be thrilled to learn that among the places where the fourth season of The Diplomat was shot there are also Italian locations: let us discover which ones.
What it’s about
At the end of the third season, after the death of the President of the United States and the ascent of Vice President Grace Penn to the White House (the character for whom Allison Janney was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series), Kate Wyler, the lead played by Keri Russell, had taken on an increasingly central role in American politics: for the diplomat, the vice presidency loomed on the horizon. This had contributed to placing pressure on the relationship with her husband, Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), already deeply strained by conflicts, resentments, jealousy, and conflicting ambitions.
The Diplomat 4 picks up from this point and, as Netflix’s official synopsis states, begins from “a catastrophic event [that] breaks the fragile peace mediated by Kate Wyler between the United States and the United Kingdom” and risks driving not one but two marriages toward self-destruction.
Where the series was filmed
In addition to the usual settings, between London and New York, the fourth season of The Diplomat adds Italian locations. The production chose Tuscany to shoot several key scenes of the season: those depicting an informal summit of G7 representatives.
Lucca
Between May and June 2026, in the historic center of Lucca, first banners reading “Lucca welcome – G7 Italia” appeared, followed by equipment and crew that were unmistakably those of a major production. Most of the filming took place around Piazza Napoleone, Porta San Pietro, Piazza San Frediano, Piazza Anfiteatro, Piazza Guidiccioni and Via Sant’Andrea: the medieval heart of the city where every corner hides unique jewels of art and architecture.
In several shots it is easy to recognize Palazzo Ducale: the imposing 14th-century building that for centuries served as an aristocratic residence and today houses the offices of the prefecture and the provincial administration, as well as several exhibitions.
Villa Reale di Marlia (Capannori)
Among the locations for The Diplomat 4 there is also Villa Reale di Marlia: just outside Lucca, in the municipality of Capannori, it stands as one of Italy’s most elegant historic residences. It was even inhabited for a period by Napoleon’s sister Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, and is renowned for its sixteen hectares of Baroque gardens that surround it, as well as Renaissance-style gems such as the Palazzina dell’Orologio, the Teatro dell’Acqua, and the Teatro di Verzura.
Other locations
There are additional sites in Tuscany where the fourth season of The Diplomat was filmed: the Netflix series received support from the regional Film Commission. Notably Prato and the province of Florence, where production is said to have relied mainly on studios and operational bases.
