Coco Chanel (2008) filming locations

Moulins, France

Opened in 1899 on the place d'Allier at the initiative of M. Renoux, a former waiter at the Brasserie Lipp, the Grand Café has retained its 1900 decor designed by the architect Louis Galfione: a woodwork shopfront, mirrored walls and a ceiling painted by Auguste Sauroy on the legend of Gambrinus. Its façade and two rooms have been listed as historic monuments since 1978. According to local tradition in Moulins, the young Gabrielle Chanel, then employed by a clothing firm in the town, is said to have sung from the mezzanine there, earning her the nickname “Coco”.

The scene : This café-brasserie on the Place d'Allier is among the sets of the TV film, although sources do not say which sequence was shot there.

Vichy, France

Built beside the former casino to support the resort's growth at the end of the 19th century, the Opéra de Vichy is in the Art Nouveau style. Inaugurated in June 1901 with Verdi's Aïda, it houses a hall in gold and ivory tones, and the ironwork of its central door depicts poppy flowers.

The scene : In front of the facade of the Opéra, ambulances from the Great War are parked, one of the tableaux of the 1914–1918 reconstruction filmed in Vichy.

Vichy, France

Listed as a historic monument, the Parc des Sources is the heart of the Vichy spa resort; its Restoration-era kiosk, which once stood there, has been moved to the Parc des Bourins. In 2022, the park was selected among the endangered monuments chosen by the mission for the identification of immovable heritage.

The scene : Along the shaded paths of the park, 1914-1918 ambulances and extras in period costume bring the spa town back to the time of the First World War.

Galerie du Fer à Cheval (Vichy)

Vichy, France

Designed by Antoine Percilly in 1894 and built under the direction of architects Charles Le Cœur and Lucien Woog, the Galerie du Fer à Cheval surrounds the source de l'Hôpital. Its 26 shops were delivered in early summer 1899, and the shop at no. 11 changed occupants several times during the 20th century (1908, 1924, 1966, 1981, 1991). The gallery is protected as a historic monument.

The scene : Under the arcades of the gallery, Christian Duguay recreates Deauville in 1914–1915, where Coco retreats when war breaks out: the clothing shop « Les Enfants d'Édouard » at no. 11 becomes her first hat boutique, complete with its storeroom and a newspaper kiosk, and horse-drawn carriages pass the period shop windows.

Rome, Italy

One of the major production complexes in Europe, featuring stages, workshops, set construction facilities, and a large backlot.

The scene : The miniseries began filming at the Roman studios in December 2007, before the crew left to shoot in France.

Besson, France

The scene : Wikidata lists this Bourbonnais commune among the filming locations, without specifying which scenes were shot there.