The Madame Blanc Mysteries filming locations: Iconic Baroque church and Mediterranean island posing as Sainte Victoire
Take us there immediately!
The Madame Blanc Mysteries follows amateur sleuth Jean White as she solve crimes against a beautiful backdrop, but where are the real filming locations?
Like multiple cosy crime dramas, such as Murder in Provence, and Death in Paradise, part of the appeal of the Channel 5 series is the stunning scenery. Not to mention Sally Lindsay’s colourful wardrobe of kimonos and summer dresses.
The series, which is currently on its fifth run, is available to watch on Channel 5, Acorn TV, and soon Netflix.
We don’t want the crime obviously, but we’d love the locale! As the series returns to Channel 5, here’s a look at The Madame Blanc Mysteries filming locations. And it’s not where you think!
Where is the Channel 5 cosy crime set? Is Sainte Victoire real?
The Madame Blanc Mysteries is set in France, in the fictional village of Sainte Victoire. Montagne Sainte Victoire is a limestone mountain ridge in the South of France which extends over 18 kilometres, with villages such as Vauvenargues providing inspiration for the show’s setting. But the village of Sainte Victoire does not actually exist.
However, although the series is mainly set in France, it was actually filmed in another beautiful European location!
Where is Madame Blanc Mysteries really filmed?
The cosy crime drama is filmed predominantly on the island of Malta and its capital Valletta. Cast and crew filmed specifically on the island of Gozo – Malta’s sister island. Gozo is just north of the main island and easily accessible by boat or ferry.
The villages of Sannat and Għarb are the exact settings for Sainte Victoire. The series provides lots of employment for the locals. Speaking on the Visit Gozo YouTube channel, Sally Lindsay said: “Sannat, the square, I just fell in love with it and said ‘we’ve got to film it here’.” The actress added: “It’s just beautiful. It’s a magical place.”
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. Gozo is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, one of 21 that make up the Maltese archipelago. They are both famous for its beautiful Mediterranean coastline, stunning beaches and crystal-clear waters.
Gozo is part of Malta. It is the second largest island in the Maltese archipelago. It’s a popular destination for visitors to Malta, easily visited as a day trip.
Channel 5 thriller The Wives, starring Jo Joyner and Tamzin Outhwaite, was also filmed in Malta. More recently, Two Weeks in August was set in Greece but was actually filmed in Malta, too.
‘We were going to film in France, but it proved complicated’
Sally Lindsay, who stars in and created the show, said: “I remember sitting in my caravan in rainy Manchester filming Cold Call thinking it would be nice to somewhere sunnier.
“That was a big influence on where The Madame Blanc Mysteries would be set!”
The actress admitted she was initially sceptical about filming on Malta, however. She explained: “We were going to film in France, but it proved so complicated to do that.
“Channel 5 suggested Gozo, but I wasn’t really sure… I’d been to Malta a couple of years ago when my father was passing because it was on his bucket list, and the bit we went to looked more like Spain than the south of France.
“We got the ferry to Gozo, but it was unbelievable – literally just a tiny drive in and it was like we were in the South of France. Even our French actors thought it looked like France!”
The Madame Blanc filming locations: ‘Sainte Victoire is created on Gozo, Malta’
Producer Andy Morgan explained: “I was always confident that we could create Sainte Victoire on Gozo. Once I set foot in the square there, it just felt absolutely right.
“We had our church, our police station and our pub – create some shop signs, dot some French cars around, and you’re there if you use clever framing.”
He continued: “When shooting we would close the square so that we could drive cars on the other side of the road, and simple things like that work really well.”
Where is Judith and Jeremy’s manor?
Believe it or not, a very grand location was used to film Judith and Jeremy’s chateau! We’re not joking… Cast and crew filmed at the Prime Minister of Malta’s secondary residence!
Producer Andy Morgan shared: “We used the Prime Minister’s wife’s secondary residence for Jeremy and Judith’s chateau. It was basically like filming at Chequers.
“We turned their dining room into a lounge – it was being wasted as a dining room as it looked out onto the beautiful gardens. I feel like we made the place even more homely.”
He added: “I really wanted the PM and his wife to visit the set and get some ideas from us, but we didn’t see them during filming.”
The impressive building is, understandably, walled and gated, so fans of the show would struggle to visit it in real life.
Madame Blanc Mysteries filming locations: Where is Jean White’s house?
Jean White lives in a pretty stone cottage, which has been central to many memorable moments throughout the series – not least Dom and Jean’s first sleepover together!
In fact, the house is a holiday rental that you can book for your stay on Gozo. That’s when filming isn’t taking place! Villa Birzit in Xaghra is a three-bedroom, three-bathroom villa with a pool. All the interior shots of Jean’s house are also filmed here.
Elsewhere, Jean’s Antique shop Brodeur & White can be located in Victoria, the capital of Gozo, and Mġarr Harbour is where Jeremy and Judith keep their boat moored.
Other key filming locations used in The Madame Blanc Mysteries
The stunning church that features predominantly in all promo shots and scenes of The Madame Blanc Mysteries is theBasilica of the Visitation, located in the village square of Għarb on the island of Gozo, Malta.
Built between 1699 and 1729, it is an “exquisite example of Baroque architecture”. It featured a distinct concave facade inspired by Roman designs and twin bell towers. The square in front of it serves as a central landmark for the village. You can visit it, and entrance is free.
Għarb is one of Gozo’s oldest and most characterful villages.
