Rising up out of a barren landscape, a dusty, yellowish street looms large, dotted with stables, cacti, a watering hole, hitching posts, and the creaking gates of a living room that invites you to come in for something refreshing on a hot August afternoon. In the background, a melody composed by Ennio Morricone glorifies the scene, making it even more epic. Any western-loving movie buff knows what we’re talking about.
He not only knows how to play. He also knows how to shoot.
This desert landscape in Almería has given birth to hundreds of western films, many of them spaghetti western, favorite genre of master Sergio Leone. This place was none other than the set where the magnificent Huntil his time came (once upon a time in the west) in 1968, with a splendid Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda.
Now the movie set can be yours. Yes, the set of the film is for sale. For 2,800,000 euros. Here.
On the outskirts of the Andalusian town of Tabernas and with 85,700 square meters, it still maintains its original characteristics. You can still smell that mixture of cultures that came together in the 60s to give life to a style later recognized throughout the world. A group of film directors, most of them Italian, came here and took advantage of Spain, the chiseled cliffs of Almeria rock, the sunny climate, the dust of our mountains to capture their version of the western.
Among the best-known directors of the genre was Sergio Leone, whose films such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly either For a bunch of dollars made Clint Eastwood or Claudia Cardinale recognized movie stars. At the end of that decade, Leone, already an eminence, arrived in Tabernas with carte blanche to make a film that would be among his most ambitious: Until his time came.
The location has also been the scene of films that have made history in the world of cinema such as Two scoundrels in the west in 1981, apache kid in 1987, The Fort Apache Four either east of west in 1984.
The real estate company in charge of managing the sale is Grupo Rukasa, who point out that it is an “ideal place to build an international film studio.” The real estate group details about the sale, in addition, that “in the current state, the town maintains the original sets of Sergio Leone’s films and tourist visits are being received, typical of a theme park.” Since the ad went up, they have received calls from Germany, England or the Netherlands.
“What we are selling is a small part of the history of Almería,” explained José Ruda, of Grupo Rukasa. “This is a place where memories and anecdotes were forged.” Apparently, little has changed since the set replaced the ranch Sweetwater from the iconic film, except, of course, for the constant deterioration that has eaten away at the city, “Yet when it’s windy, you see the desert plants rolling around and you think, ‘Okay, and where are the gunmen?'”
Images: Rukasa Group