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Filming Locations Guide: Where was A Discovery of Witches filmed? The Castle & the House

Filming Locations in Italy

The A Discovery of Witches Sept-Tours Castle

The New Season 2 Locations

The A Discovery of Witches House

The New Season 3 Locations

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Where was A Discovery of Witches Filmed? A Full List of A Discovery of Witches Filming Locations!

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A Discovery of Witches is the magical television adaptation of Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy of books which takes place in some spectacular locations.

A Discovery of Witches is about a witch called Diana Bishop who discovers her incredible powers while studying in Oxford, although she also gallivants through time with her vampire lover to Elizabethan London, France and Bohemia, as well as modern-day London, France and Italy.

With such stunning locations, it’s almost natural to start wondering “Where was A Discovery of Witches filmed?” As always, we also wondered and decided to hunt down as many filming locations as possible, which we can now share with you here!

Of course, if you haven’t caught up with all three seasons yet, beware of spoilers ahead…

A Discovery of Witches Filming Locations in the United Kingdom

The majority of A Discovery of Witches was filmed in the United Kingdom, which makes sense since a large portion of the action takes place here in the story. Some locations in the UK were also used to stand in for places in other countries, while others were filmed in the correct country, but in a different city to the one being represented! Here are all the United Kingdom filming locations for A Discovery of Witches that we could confirm.

Wolf Studios, Cardiff (AKA Multiple Locations)

Address: Bldg One, Glass Ave, Cardiff CF24 5EN, United Kingdom

Wolf Studios in Cardiff is an off-shoot of the Bad Wolf production company, and A Discovery of Witches was the first production to be filmed at their new studios!

Many of the interior sets were created at the Wolf Studios in Cardiff, including the interiors of Sept-Tours, the Bishop House, the congregation meeting hall and a complete recreation of Duke Humfrey’s Library in the Bodleian! While the showrunners did get permission to film within the real Bodleian Library, they found the restrictions too difficult and instead just decided to make their own version that they could film for as long as they liked, and also mess up a little when needed.

Apparently, when Phillip Pullman visited the set (before they started using the studios for filming His Dark Materials) he was very impressed and said their Bodleian Library set was perfect!

Cardiff Market, Cardiff (AKA Oxford Covered Market)

Address: 5-7 St Mary St, Cardiff CF10 1AU, United Kingdom

Before cooking Matthew dinner, Diana goes shopping (with the ‘help’ of Marcus) at the covered market in Oxford for ingredients. This scene was actually filmed at the Cardiff Market rather than in Oxford, apparently very early in the morning to avoid regular shoppers. While they are both covered markets they’re still quite distinctive, so we assume that the showrunners just figured viewers wouldn’t notice the difference.

Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff (AKA Matthew’s lodgings at All Souls College)

Address: Cardiff CF5 2LF, UK

Only the interior of Insole Court was used for filming, but these opulent interiors were perfect for the private Oxford lodgings of a vampire professor. You can’t see the beautiful interiors on Google Maps, of course, but you can visit Insole Court if you want to explore ‘Matthew’s rooms’ for yourself!

Glamorgan Building, Cardiff University (AKA the court building in New Orleans and Phoebe’s office interior)

Address: King Edward VII Ave, Cardiff CF10 3NS, UK

The Glamorgan Building at Cardiff University was used to depict two very distinct locations, the first being the exterior of the court building in New Orleans where Matthew and Marcus talk to Geraldine, one of Marcus’s children. You can just see in the picture below where they were standing at the top of the steps.

The interiors of the Glamorgan Building were also used when filming the scenes at Phoebe’s office in Oxford, which is meant to look like it’s located within the Sheldonian Theatre but obviously, that doesn’t resemble an antiques dealer inside!

Cardiff University, Cardiff (AKA the house in New Orleans)

Address: Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom

The house where Matthew, Marcus and Jack stay while visiting New Orleans is not a real house, but in fact, a facade that was built on the lawns outside Cardiff University. At this link , you can actually see photos of the Louisiana house being built in front of the main university building!

Barocco Wales Restaurant, Cardiff (AKA the vampire bar in New Orleans)

Address: 12 Wharton St, Cardiff CF10 1AG, United Kingdom

Another location in Cardiff was used to stand in for New Orleans and that is the Barocco Wales Restaurant. This atmospheric restaurant was used for the scenes inside Ransome’s nightclub as it does look like something you might expect to find in New Orleans. You can’t see the interiors from the map picture below but if you check out the pictures added on Google the distinctive two-storey design is very recognizable.

Folly Bridge, Oxford (AKA where Matthew is standing in episode one)

Address: Abingdon Rd, Oxford OX1 4LB, United Kingdom

At the very beginning of the first episode of A Discovery of Witches, Matthew is standing on a bridge in Oxford as his voiceover begins the story. This bridge is the actual Folly Bridge in Oxford and it also makes sense that Diana rows under him as a little further down the river is where the rowing boathouses are located as well.

Exeter College, Oxford (AKA where Diana is staying in Oxford)

Address: Turl St, Oxford OX1 3DP, United Kingdom

The story of A Discovery of Witches starts with Diana (who’s a professor at Yale University) visiting Oxford University where she had previously studied. She’s staying in tiny Oxford student quarters and the exterior scenes of her coming and going from her rooms were filmed in Exeter College.

It’s a little weird for anyone familiar with Oxford geography why she rides her bike from Exeter College to the Bodleian Library since they’re literally next door to each other, but it does also allow the showrunners to show off some of the other famous sights in Oxford as she rides past the Radcliffe Camera and under the Bridge of Sighs.

The Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford (AKA where Diana parks her bike)

Address: Broad St, Oxford OX1 3AZ, United Kingdom

In the very first episode after Diana has been rowing, she heads back to her rooms at Exeter College before grabbing her stuff and setting out on her bike to the Bodleian Library. She parks her bike on the west side of the Sheldonian theatre where she accidentally uses magic and looks around to check if anyone saw. You can see the famous busts outside the Sheldonian Theatre behind the oblivious people on screen.

University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford (the church Matthew walks out of after Diana opens Ashmole 782)

Address: The High St, Oxford OX1 4BJ, United Kingdom

When Diana first opens the Book of Life it sets off a magical current that all nearby creatures can feel. Matthew was standing in a church praying when he feels it and as he walks out Miriam calls him to ask if he had also felt the disturbance.

While we’re not sure where the interior of this scene was filmed (the interior of this church doesn’t match what was shown on screen), the exterior is clearly the University Church of St Mary the Virgin. Matthew walks out and looks across at the Radcliffe Camera which is directly opposite the church in real life, and also quite close to the Bodleian Library where he goes next.

Bodleian Library, Oxford (AKA the Bodleian Library)

Address: Broad St, Oxford OX1 3BG, United Kingdom

Duke Humfrey’s Library was created on set but the exterior scenes were shot on location in Oxford. Matthew is standing in the main square of the Bodleian library after Diana opened the book and then hears Diana talking to Gillian outside the very ornate Divinity School entrance, which is opposite the Sheldonian Theatre.

Brown’s Café, Oxford (AKA where Diana googles Matthew)

Address: 92, The Market, Oxford OX1 3DY, United Kingdom

While a different scene at the Oxford Covered Market was actually filmed in Cardiff, the scenes in Brown’s Café (which is located within the Oxford Covered Market) were actually shot on location. This is the café where Diana tries to Google Matthew before he turns up and talks to her.

The White Horse Pub, Oxford (AKA where Matthew, Marcus and Miriam talk about the book)

Address: 52 Broad St, Oxford OX1 3BB, United Kingdom

We think the scene where Matthew, Marcus and Miriam have a beer was filmed inside this pub, as the interior photos seem to match the scene. This cute little pub is also definitely where Domenico later sits to stalk Marcus and Phoebe since he looks out the window directly at the History of Science Museum entrance, which is used to portray Phoebe’s office in the series.

Alley next to Blackwell’s Bookshop, Oxford (AKA where the second murder takes place)

Address: 48 Broad St, Oxford OX1 3BB, UK

Next to the White Horse Pub is Blackwell’s, a famous Oxford bookshop and directly next to that is a little alley that doesn’t appear to have a name. This is where a man rides his bike and parks down the alley, before being brutally murdered by the blood-raged vampire.

History of Science Museum, Oxford (AKA Phoebe’s office)

While the interior scenes at the antique dealer where Phoebe works were filmed in Cardiff, all the exterior shots were filmed at the entrance to the History of Science Museum, which is next door to the Sheldonian Theatre. Again, anyone who knows Oxford knows that building is not actually an antique dealer, although there are a lot of antique scientific pieces of equipment on display here in real life! The History of Science Museum is well worth a visit if you are hunting down filming locations in real life.

Magdalen College Boathouse, Oxford (AKA where Diana goes rowing)

Address: Boathouses Walk, Oxford OX1 4PP, United Kingdom

Diana likes to go rowing on the River Thames while she’s in Oxford, and there are a couple of scenes filmed at the real college boathouses where she takes her rowing shell in and out of the water. The building where she stores her rowing shell, and where she has a creepy confrontation with Matthew, is the Magdalen College Boathouse.

The Randolph Hotel, Oxford (AKA where Domenico is staying)

Address: Beaumont St, Oxford OX1 2LN, United Kingdom

We only see a very quick shot of Domenico walking into the Randolph Hotel in Oxford after being attacked by the blood-raged vampire, but this is definitely where a vampire of his standing would stay while in Oxford! It’s a very beautiful hotel located directly opposite the Ashmolean Museum, and since the whole story revolves around an Ashmole text, it’s an even more fitting location.

Bristol Harbour Hotel & Spa, Bristol (AKA where Knox and Diana have tea)

Address: 53-55 Corn St, Bristol BS1 1HT, United Kingdom

When Diana first meets Peter Knox she doesn’t know he’s a… bit of a dick, and goes with him to have tea somewhere in Oxford. While they are meant to still be in Oxford, these scenes were actually filmed in one of the ornate rooms at the Bristol Harbour Hotel & Spa.

6 Berkeley Square, Bristol (AKA Marcus’s house in Oxford)

Address: 6 Berkeley Square, Bristol BS8 1HG, UK

Marcus’s home in Oxford is visited quite a bit in season two, since he offers it to Sophie and Nathaniel to stay in, and later takes Phoebe there as well. The house used for exterior shots is also not in Oxford though, instead it’s located at number 6 Berkeley Square in Bristol.

All Saints Lane, Bristol (AKA where Diana and Gillian get coffee)

Address: All Saints Ln, Bristol BS1 1JH, United Kingdom

When Diana first meets up with Gillian in Oxford they go and get coffee to catch up. While it looks like they’re still in Oxford they are actually sitting in All Saints Lane, which is located in Bristol. The exact spot they sit in the lane is outside the Rummer Hotel and you can see the sign for Kamuren’s Barber Shop in front of them.

38 Queen Square, Bristol (AKA Clairmont House in Mayfair, London)

Address: 38 Queen Square, Bristol BS1 4QS, UK

When Matthew and Diana are basically kicked out of Sept-Tours by Baldwin, they head to Matthew’s house in London (along with Marcus, Phoebe, Sarah, Gallowglass and Fernando). The exterior shots of this particular “London” house were once again filmed elsewhere, this time at 38 Queen Square in Bristol.

Aberglasney Gardens, Carmarthenshire, Wales (AKA the gardens of Sept-Tours)

Address: Llangathen, Carmarthen SA32 8QH, United Kingdom

The De Clermont ancestral home is a stunning castle in France called Sept-Tours, which was brought to life on screen in a number of real-life locations. Any of the scenes where characters were walking around the gardens of Sept-Tours were filmed in the beautiful Aberglasney Gardens in Wales, which are about a 40-minute drive from Swansea.

Carew Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales (AKA the interior ruins of La Pierre)

Address: Castle Ln, Carew, Tenby SA70 8SL, United Kingdom

When Satu kidnaps Diana from Sept-Tours she flies her to the nearby ruins of La Pierre, a castle owned by Gerbert. The scenes at this castle ruin were filmed at Carew Castle, also in Wales and just over an hour from Swansea. This is quite an impressive castle ruin that you can visit in real life if you want to walk in the literal footsteps of Diana.

Tretower Court and Castle, Crickhowell, Wales (AKA the Council of Witches house)

Address: Powys, Tretower, Crickhowell NP8 1RF, United Kingdom

When Matthew and Diana travel back in time they end up tracking down another Weaver, the witch Goody Allsop. The scenes where Diana meets with Goody and the council of witches were filmed at Tretower Court, although only the interiors were used as the exterior is meant to be in the middle of Elizabethan London.

All the scenes where Diana learns to weave spells are filmed in the Upper North Range of Tretower Court, and the scenes with Diana and Goody sitting in front of a fire were filmed in the kitchen at Tretower. You can visit Tretower Court in real life if you want to reenact your own council of witches!

Caerphilly Castle, Caerphilly, Wales (AKA the Thames and Tower of London)

Address: Castle St, Caerphilly CF83 1JD, United Kingdom

When filming the outdoor scenes of Elizabethan London, a lot of CGI was used to create the panoramic shots showing the ancient city skyline. Any time a character was shown crossing the river Thames on a boat, this was apparently filmed in the moat surrounding Caerphilly Castle in Wales. The showrunners also said that they used the interior of one of the gatehouses for Matthew’s cell scenes in the Tower of London.

Llanvihangel Court, Abergavenny, Wales (AKA Matthew’s mansion)

Address: Llanvihangel Court, Llanvihangel Crucorney, Abergavenny NP7 8DH, United Kingdom

In episode three of season one, Matthew takes Diana to his ‘house’ just outside Oxford. While some overhead shots of the car place it somewhere in the Cotswolds (and perhaps in the same town where later scenes were filmed when Diana and Sarah visit TJ Weston) the estate house he takes her to is Llanvihangel Court, a Tudor country house in Wales. You can’t really see it from Google Maps, but the beautiful property (including resident peacocks!) photos on the website match up with both interior and exterior shots from the show.

The intersection of Victoria Square & Salisbury Avenue, Penarth, Wales (AKA where Marcus tries to save his friend)

Address: 21 Victoria Square, Penarth CF64 3EJ, UK

Viewers first meet the character of Marcus finishing off a shift as a paramedic with a friend. The two share some friendly banter before parting ways, when Marcus’s friend is unfortunately hit by a car and dies, despite Marcus’s attempts to turn him into a vampire to save his life. This shocking scene takes place in a residential part of Penarth, a town that’s located just south of Cardiff.

Llyn y Fan Fach, Brecon Beacons, Wales (AKA where Matthew goes hunting in Scotland)

Address: Llangadog SA19 9UN, UK

When Matthew first meets Diana he finds it difficult to not, you know, drink her blood… In order to avoid temptation he visits his daemon friend Hamish in Scotland, where he hunts a magnificent stag as a way to take the edge off. The spectacular scenery that he runs through is actually part of the Brecon Beacons in Wales, near the Llyn y Fan Fach lake (which was also used for filming His Dark Materials, incidentally).

Chapter House at Wells Cathedral, Wells, England (AKA Queen Elizabeth’s Chamber)

Address: Cathedral Grn, Wells BA5 2UE, United Kingdom

While an earlier scene with Queen Elizabeth I was probably filmed on a set, the scene where Matthew tells her about her future was filmed on location at Wells Cathedral, specifically in the rounded chapter house. This stunning room can be explored during a visit to the cathedral, which is one of the most beautiful in England.

Wogan Cavern, Pembroke Castle, Wales (AKA the cave where Kit and Louisa take Diana)

Address: Castle Terrace, Pembroke SA71 4LA, United Kingdom

The creepy cave where Kit and Louisa attempt to kill Diana is another location you can actually visit, as it’s part of Pembroke Castle in Wales. Wogan Cavern is a natural cave and a fascinating archaeological site, that has been used by humans for more than 11,000 years! The castle and cave are both open to the public, with lots of fun events for visitors to experience as well.

Rhossili Bay Beach, Gower Peninsula, Wales (AKA the beach by Mont Saint-Michel)

Address: Rhossili SA3 1PL, United Kingdom

In the past, Matthew and Diana are summoned to France by Philippe. Gallowglass escorts them by sea to a huge beach, which is meant to be by Mont-Saint Michel. The beautiful Mont was actually added in digitally, as these scenes (also featuring some gorgeous horses galloping across the beach) were filmed on Rhossili Bay Beach in Wales.

Imperial College London (AKA Chris’s laboratory)

Address: Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2BX, United Kingdom

When Diana contacts her friend Chris to help Matthew and Miriam study blood rage, he meets up with them in a high-tech-looking building in South Kensington, London. The exterior shots that are shown when the text on the screen says the location are accurate, as the building is the Imperial College London, a research university that is indeed in South Kensington.

The British Library, London (AKA The British Library)

Address:96 Euston Rd., London NW1 2DB, United Kingdom

During their search for the final missing page from Ashmole 782, Diana and Sarah visit the British Library in London to look at a different book. For once, this was filmed actually on location at the real British Library, at least for the shots of the building’s exterior. As Diana says to Gallowglass, you need a Reader Pass to access the Reading Rooms here, but it does look like the interior scenes were also filmed on location, based on photos on the British Library website .

Plas Machen, Graig, Newport, Wales (AKA Elizabethan London)

Address: Lower Machen, Bassaleg, Newport NP10 8GW, UK

When Matthew and Diana travel in time in season two, the showrunners decided to build an entire set of ‘Elizabethan London’ streets on an estate near Cardiff. Plas Machen is a Grade II listed building which you can’t actually visit, but the open spaces near the main building were used to construct a very realistic-looking set to represent London of the past.

The Cloisters of Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester, England (AKA where Matthew meets with William Cecil)

Address: 12 College Grn, Gloucester GL1 2LX, United Kingdom

While living in Elizabethan London Matthew visits William Cecil a number of times at Whitehall. The scenes of him walking through corridors with courtiers (before being ushered into Cecil’s rooms) were filmed in the beautiful cloisters of Gloucester Cathedral.

Defensible Barracks, Pembroke Dock, Wales (AKA the abandoned hospital in Poland)

Address: Pembroke Dock SA72 6NT, UK

Matthew tracks down Benjamin in the abandoned hospital in Poland where Philippe had also previously been held, although the exterior scenes of the building were actually filmed in Wales! CGI was used to make it look like the building was in the middle of a Polish forest, instead of a Welsh town, but the main entrance is very recognizable.

A Discovery of Witches Filming Locations in Italy

Aside from the United Kingdom, a number of locations were used for filming in Italy, which makes sense when a major part of the story takes place in Venice! There were also some places in the region surrounding Venice which were used to represent locations in other countries. These are all the Italy filming locations for A Discovery of Witches that we were able to confirm.

San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice (AKA the Congregation)

Address: 30100 Venice, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy

The Congregation Headquarters are depicted in the series as being invisible to humans and located on an island called Isola della Stella in the books. For the television series, the island of San Giorgio Maggiore was chosen to depict this spot, as it’s close enough to the main part of Venice for the city to be visible in panning shots. Of course, if you visit in real life the island will be visible from afar, but it’s still very cool to see for yourself! The interior scenes at the Congregation Headquarters were created on set.

Bar Foscarini, Venice (AKA where Juliette is having coffee)

Address: Ponte dell’Accademia, 878/c, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy

At the beginning of episode 2, we see Juliette having coffee and then stalking a young man across the Ponte dell’Accademia bridge in Venice. We then see shots of them near the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute but we’re not sure where exactly they start hooking up before she then kills him.

Palazzo Contarini Polignac, Venice (AKA Gerbert D’Aurillac’s Palace)

Address: Sestiere Dorsoduro, 874, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy

Exterior scenes featuring Gerbert’s opulent canal palace in Venice were filmed at the Palazzo Contarini Polignac, which is just next door to the café where Juliette was having coffee. There are a number of scenes showing characters pulling up to the ‘front door’ of this palazzo via boat, and Juliette speaks to Domenico through the distinctive gate here as well. Monet even painted this stunning building so it seems a fitting home for one of the most powerful vampires in the series.

The courtyard at the Congregation Headquarters was also filmed in the gardens of Palazzo Contarini Polignac, and a scene on a balcony overlooking these gardens was likewise filmed here.

Campo de l’Abazia, Venice (AKA the Venice morgue that Domenico visits)

After Juliette has killed the poor French tourist, Domenico can be seen visiting a rather grand morgue to inspect the body. The entrance used to depict this morgue was filmed on the Campo de l’Abazia which is located in the northern part of Venice.

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Presentazione, Venice (AKA the church where Juliette leaves Gerbert)

Address: Fondamenta Zitelle, 33, 30133 Venezia VE, Italy

When Juliette decides to finally stop doing what Gerbert wants her to do, she does this inside a church in Venice. We don’t know where the interior scenes for this event were filmed, but when she walks out of the church and passes by Domenico, this was filmed at the main door of the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Presentazione on Guidecca island.

Castello Cini Monselice, Veneto (AKA Sept-Tours)

Address: Via del Santuario, 17, 35043 Monselice PD, Italy

While the gardens of Sept-Tours were filmed in Wales, the exterior of the castle was filmed at Castello Cini Monselice, which is located in a town not far from Venice. You can’t see it very well from Google Maps, but the main entranceway was used for a number of scenes in Sept-Tours, like when Diana conjured the witch water and when Philippe had a sword-fight with Matthew in the past.

Many of the interior sets were modelled on the actual interiors of this castle as well, although they were mostly filmed at the studio in Cardiff. But this is one castle you can visit and find parts of both the interior and exterior match what you’ve seen on screen!

Arquà Petrarca, Veneto (AKA St. Lucien)

Address: Via Castello, 3, 35032 Arquà Petrarca PD, Italy

Ysabeau takes Diana for a walk through the village surrounding Sept-Tours (which is called St Lucien) and they visit the church where Matthew’s former wife and son are buried. These scenes were filmed in the Italian town of Arquà Petrarca, and specifically at the Oratory Saint Trinity. The exterior tower where Ysabeau found Matthew is quite recognisable and the interior shots were also filmed inside this ancient church.

Prösels Castle, South Tyrol (AKA Emperor Rudolf’s Castle)

Address: Via Presule, 2, 39050 Fie’ Allo Sciliar BZ, Italy

When Diana and Matthew head to Bohemia to meet Emperor Rudolf II, they visit him at his ‘country house’, which is actually the very impressive Prösels Castle. This beautiful castle looks very much as it does in real life as it did on the screen, and was used for filming a number of scenes both interior and exterior that took place in ‘Bohemia.’ You can visit this castle for yourself, and even experience an escape room!

Have Any Tips on A Discovery of Witches Filming Locations?

Let us know in the comments so we can update our guide and make it better!

Some of the A Discovery of Witches filming locations we can’t quite figure out are:

• The chapel where Matthew is praying in the first episode. While he walks out of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, the interior of that church doesn’t match the scene where he was praying while holding a rosary.
• Hamish’s house in Scotland. In episode two, Matthew visits his daemon friend in Scotland to get away from Diana. We would love to know where this estate was filmed, at least the exterior as the interiors may have been created on set.
• Where Peter Knox finds Satu in Finland and she returns to her mother later. These scenes were reportedly filmed in Newport near the Transporter Bridge but we can’t nail down the exact spot.
• The church in Venice where Juliette leaves Gerbert. We have identified the exterior where Juliette walks out and passes by Domenico, but the interior of this building doesn’t match the scene and we haven’t been able to figure out where the interior church scenes were filmed.
• The restaurant where Marcus and Phoebe have dinner. In season 2, Marcus asks Phoebe on a date and they visit a beautiful restaurant with a fabulous balcony view over Oxford. We’ve scoured all the restaurants and bars in Oxford with rooftop views but haven’t been able to narrow it down. It might have been filmed elsewhere and the Oxford buildings added in with CGI.
• The cemetery in New Orleans. While in New Orleans Jack spends a lot of time in a cemetery and while we assume this wasn’t actually filmed in New Orleans, we’re not sure where the scenes were filmed.
• TJ Weston’s home in the Cotswolds. When Diana and Sarah finally track down the deamon TJ Weston, text on the screen tells us they are driving through the Cotswolds in England. This is a beautiful area filled with quaint towns, but we’re not sure which town was used for the exterior scenes where TJ Weston lives. The interiors were most likely created on set.

Kristy Brandt

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Where Was A Discovery Of Witches Filmed? Fantasy Show's Filming Locations Explained

• A Discovery of Witches filmed in various UK and Italian locations for authentic settings in the show.
• Cardiff's Bad Wolf Studios served as a versatile filming location due to its ability to create authentic sets.
• Production for the show utilized Wales for adaptable locations perfect for recreating different settings.

A Discovery Of Witches has several filming locations throughout England, Wales, and Italy . The fantasy show is based on the All Souls Trilogy books by Deborah Harkness, and it follows Diana Bishop, a witch unfamiliar with her own powers, and Matthew Clairmont, a vampire over a thousand years old. The two characters form an unlikely partnership while examining a manuscript at Oxford's Bodleian Library, and eventually, they fall in love. Their supernatural romance is considered one of the best of its kind.

A lot of consideration went into building sets and choosing venues that would provide authenticity when production could not film in the actual locations. However, A Discovery Of Witches had a few opportunities to film in the genuine locations where the narrative takes place, including the University of Oxford. When production could not film in the story's accurate areas, such as the Czech Republic, France, and Scotland, they would make do with other towns across the United Kingdom and Italy that resonated with the narrative and felt realistic.

Why A Discovery Of Witches Season 4 Isn't Happening - Everything We Know

A beloved show based on the All Souls books by Deborah Harkness, there's a specific reason why A Discover of Witches season 4 didn't happen.

Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

Bad wolf studios, cardiff market, insole court, & cardiff university.

Bad Wolf Studios is a television studio in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. Most filming for A Discovery Of Witches occurred here since it was usually the default location when production could not be in Oxford, France, Scotland, or the Czech Republic. Bad Wolf Studios has the versatility to create authentic sets, given their many resources as a filming studio. Although production for A Discovery Of Witches attempted to film at the University of Oxford as much as possible, they could not be there all the time, so the interior locations of the university were often filmed at Bad Wolf Studios.

A Discovery Of Witches also used Cardiff Market to recreate Oxford Market for a scene in season 1, episode 3. Insole Court was an excellent location to film for Matthew Clairmont's home and All Souls College, another part of the University of Oxford. Production even used Cardiff University to imitate Oxford's History of Science Museum, the show's court building, and a vampire bar. The production for A Discovery Of Witches was very resourceful in selecting filming locations to recreate the authenticity of the University of Oxford.

Carmarthenshire, Wales, United Kingdom

Aberglasney gardens & llyn y fan fach.

Another frequent region in Wales that A Discovery Of Witches utilized to film the show was the county of Carmarthenshire. Some of the sets for Sept-Tours, Matthew Clairmont's family's historical home, were filmed at Aberglasney Gardens. Another set for Matthew's hunting scene in A Discovery Of Witches season 1, episode 2, was filmed at the surrounding area of the lake, Llyn y Fan Fach. Production chose these two particular locations because they were easy to manipulate into France, where the Sept-Tours is, and the Scottish environment.

Other Locations In Wales, United Kingdom

Carew castle, st. donats castle, tretower court, oxwich & rhossili bays, caerphilly castle, & 16th century manor house.

There were several other locations around Wales that the production for A Discovery Of Witches used for filming. In season 1, episode 6, Satur tortures Diana in ruins at the Carew Castle in Pembrokeshire . St. Donats Castle was another castle utilized for filming A Discovery Of Witches . The Tretower Court in Powys County was an ideal building for the Witch Council in 1590, where Diana practiced her magic. Oxwich and Rhossili Bays in the Gower Peninsula are wide open bays for Gallowglass de Clermont, Matthew Clairmont, and Diana Bishop to land before visiting Matthew's father in the sixteenth century.

Wales is a country with a lot of adaptable locations that were perfect for A Discovery Witches to film in.

Caerphilly Castle in Caerphilly, Wales, had the most realistic setting when A Discovery Of Witches had to recreate the Tower of London. Finally, while time traveling in the sixteenth century, Diana and Matthew stayed in a quaint home, filmed at an estate called Plas Mchaen, located in Newport, Wales . The surrounding area has tiny streets and authentic local activity that production also utilized for filming. Wales is a country with a lot of adaptable locations that were perfect for A Discovery Witches to film in.

Oxford, England, United Kingdom

University of oxford & bodleian library.

When their schedule allowed it, A Discovery Of Witches filmed as much as they could at the University of Oxford , given that a large chunk of the narrative takes place there. The show prioritized filming Oxford's outdoor locations and scenery, but the Bodleian Library, a critical setting in A Discovery Of Witches , was also employed for filming. Production took advantage of every opportunity to film in Oxford, England, to capture the accuracy of the University of Oxford.

Bristol, England, United Kingdom

Corn street.

Bristol is a beautiful city in England that is ideal for typical, everyday scenes. Marcus Whitmore's home was filmed at 6 Berkeley Square , while the Mayfair, London home was filmed at 38 Queen Square. Other locations A Discovery Of Witches used to replicate the authenticity of mundane scenes include The Rummer, the Harbour Hotel, Highbury Vaults, Corn Street, and Deanery Road. Bristol is the last British region A Discovery Of Witches filmed in before moving on to Italy.

Venice, Italy

Palazzo contarini polignac, gallerie dell'accademia, & castle of monselice.

A Discovery Of Witches filmed a significant part of the show in Venice, Italy . The Palazzo Contarini Polignac and the Gallerie dell'Accademia are two locations that set the stage for Gerbert D’Aurillac's home. The Gallerie dell'Accademia portrayed the front of the house, while the Palazzo Contarini Polignac was used to film the interior of Gerbert's home. The Sept-Tours estate is so grand that A Discovery Of Witches filmed in three separate Italian locations to capture it. The Castle of Monselice is one of those three locations; the series filmed the estate's outdoor aspects to portray the Clermont home's architecture.

Other Locations In Veneto, Italy

The palladian cloisters in san giorgio maggiore, santissima trinit & petrarch house museum in arqu petrarca.

The Palladian Cloisters in San Giorgio Maggiore , an island in Veneto, Italy, is a magnificent location where the production for A Discovery Of Witches was filmed to depict the Congregation. Arquà Petrarca, another town in the Veneto region, has two venues where the show was filmed to portray further the Sept-Tours estate: the Santissima Trinità and the Petrarch House Museum. In addition to the Sept-Tours, these two locations were ideal for filming other areas of St. Lucien, the fictional town where the Clermont family home is located.

Sources: LatLong.net , Visit Wales , Atlas of Wonders , Bristol Live , Italy For Movies , and IMDB

A Discovery of Witches

Genres Drama

Streaming Service(s) AMC Plus

A Discovery of Witches: Where Was the TV Show Filmed?

‘A Discovery of Witches’ is one of those unique fantasy dramas that compel the viewers into a deep state of contemplation. The plot revolves around a book that unravels shocking secrets about magic. Quite unexpectedly, it falls into the hands of a historian Dr. Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer), who wants to solve these mysteries and also protect this mystical manuscript. Based on a series of books by Deborah Harkness, it is about a book wedged between unseen crevices of Oxford’s Bodleian Library.

The show is dark and mysterious, especially the library’s haunting interiors, where the book is chanced upon. The remaining scenes take us to a dimension where vampires and witches coexist with the rest of humanity. Because of that, there is also a clash between murder and magic. This intriguing arrangement made us curious about the series, especially its filming location. So, where is ‘A Discovery of Witches’ filmed? Let’s find out.

A Discovery of Witches Filming Locations

The production of ‘A Discovery of Witches’ invested magnanimously in filming locations. Shooting for Season 1 took place in the UK and ended on February 16, 2018, after around six months. Season 2 was filmed in mid-2019 as the team found their way to Italy apart from the UK. The production clearly worked hard to conjure a setup that reflects a sweltering darkness characteristic to the plot. Let’s discover more about the locations!

Oxford, England

The dark allure of the Bodleian Library is mostly a product of studio work, but fortunately, a couple of scenes were actually filmed in The City of Dreaming Spires. The production included New College, Brown’s Cafe, parts of the Bodleian Library (the real one), and The White Horse pub in the series’ making. The limited time and resources allotted to the production deemed it impossible to film all the scenes within the University premises. Hence, they spent eight weeks creating a mock-up of the library, which nevertheless looked fascinating.

Bristol, England

In the first episode, several scenes were shot in Bristol, including The Rummer bar-restaurant at All Saints Lane. Season 1 also features the Bristol Harbour Hotel at Corn Street and the Highbury Vaults pub on St Michael’s Hill. A few scenes were filmed in Deanery Road, not far from Bristol Cathedral. The production returned to Bristol in July 2019 at Berkeley Square to film season 2.

Venice, Italy

The de Clermont family lives in the Sept-Tours, which in reality is the Castello Cini Monselice in Venice (both the interiors and exteriors). The Congregation island is actually San Giorgio Maggiore island, one of Venice’s islands. The production team conducted most of the exterior shots in its backstreets and alleys. Gerbert’s (Trevor Eve) Palace is located in Palazzo Contarini Polignac, except for the staircase, which is actually situated in Palazzo Pisani Moretta.

Located in the Veneto region in northeastern Italy, the village of Arqua Petrarca stands in for the fictional village of St Lucien based in France. The second season presents a (scary yet refreshing) hoard of witches, demons, and other beings that dominate Venice’s aesthetic.

Cardiff, Wales

The interiors of various locations in the series were materialized in the Wolf Studios located in Cardiff, most significantly, the Bodleian Library with a row of books stacked over every nook and corner. The Oxford food market was additionally recreated in Cardiff Market, which was predominantly used during odd hours when the buzz of people was significantly less. The Insole Court in Llandaff was also used as Matthew Clairmont’s (Matthew Goode) abode, not very different from the stereotypical example of a vampire’s lair.

As for the period interiors–the Hart and Crown, Rudolf II's palace, and Sept-Tours–they were built in the studio. I will be showing you interior details in next week's #Book2ScreenMagicMonday . Check out the full story on my @Facebook author page. pic.twitter.com/h8SBuSOkY0 — Dr Deborah Harkness (PhD, LHD) (@DebHarkness) December 14, 2020

Carmarthenshire, Wales

Another place that was taken because of its wilderness and space versatility is the Brecon Beacons National Park near Llyn y Fan Fach, situated in Carmarthenshire. It comprises a hunting scene with Matthew Clairmont and Hamish Osborne (Greg McHugh), a very appealing environment that could easily substitute the Scottish Highlands. Another location is Aberglasney Gardens, which posed as the garden outside Sept-Tours: the fictional castle of the de Clermont family. St Donat’s Castle is also additionally featured.

Pembrokeshire, Wales

The Carew Castle in Pembrokeshire assisted in creating Gerbert’s home, the ruins of La Pierre. The castle is overwhelmingly on an estuary, and an army of bats apparently joined the production!

"Don't look now but there's a film crew. Must have brought them with us?" #Witchmas #ADiscoveryOfWitchesS2 @DebHarkness 📽️ pic.twitter.com/bN1Ci7yvVo — ADiscoveryOfWitchTV (@ADiscoveryOfWTV) December 13, 2020

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The complete de Clermont family tree from A Discovery of Witches, explained

By federica bocco | jan 8, 2022.

Fictional families can be complicated, even more so when fantastic creatures are involved, and especially when they include immortal vampires who’ve been alive for millennia. The de Clermont clan in A Discovery of Witches is woven through a seemingly infinite series of knots. Who is related to whom again?

Here is an explanation of the complex de Clermont family tree, including every member ever mentioned in the show and the books by Deborah Harkness. (Characters without actor credits only appear in the novels, not on the show.)

Philippe de Clermont (played by James Purefoy)

Philippe is the patriarch and founder of the family. He is a true pater familias, the head and master of the clan who lords over everyone in the family and rules Sept-Tours and the village of Saint Lucien in the Clermont-Ferrand region of France. Philippe’s orders cannot be refused or avoided by any member of the family, else they risk being disowned and cast out. Philippe’s alias is Alcides Leontothymos, which was Hercules’ birth name.

Until he was killed in 1945, Philippe was the oldest vampire to walk the earth. He was born somewhere in Greece in 1286 BC; he was alive for over three millennia, witnessing every era in western civilization. He speaks many languages, preferring Ancient Greek, Latin and French.

Philippe is the founder of the Knights of Lazarus and of the Congregation. He is the husband of Ysabeau de Clermont, the father of Hugh, Baldwin, Godfrey, Freyja, Verin, and the stepfather of Matthew, among others, as well as grandfather to countless de Clermonts.

Ysabeau de Clermont (played by Lindsay Duncan)

Her full name is Genevieve Melisande Helene Ysabeau Aude de Clermont. If Philippe was the leader of the family, Ysabeau was his general, as he proudly called her. Ysabeau was born over 1,500 years ago in France. She is Philippe’s wife and the matriarch of the de Clermont clan.

Ysabeau carries the blood rage gene, which she introduced into the family. Her maker was fully afflicted and he knowingly sired her hoping she would bring destruction and could be used as a weapon, but thankfully, the rage did not manifest in her. As a result of that “disappointment,” she was tortured for a really long time, until Philippe came to destroy the rogue vampire and his blood-raged children; all except Ysabeau. She healed and they fell in love, and built their dominion and their family together.

Ysabeau is the mother of Matthew, Louisa and Louis, the step-mother of Philippe’s children and the grandmother to Marcus and Matthew’s other children.

Hugh de Clermont

Hugh was Philippe’s eldest child, Gallowglass’s father and Fernando Goncalves’s mate. We don’t know when he was sired exactly, but we can assume he was at least two thousand years old when he was burned at the stake in 1314, his execution ordered by the King of France. Hugh was very dear to Philippe, who relied heavily on him for his military and political schemes, although he could never truly accept his mating with Fernando; the two lived together until Hugh’s death, founding a scion of the de Clermont family, a secondary branch not fully dependent on the patriarch.

Fernando and Hugh were deeply in love, with Fernando still mourning him to this day. Matthew lived with them for a period and was there for Fernando when he lost Hugh, which is why he has Fernando’s unquestioned and unwavering loyalty even though he isn’t officially a member of the family.

Baldwin has entered the chat…😬🧛🏻‍♂️ Today is the day! Who’s already binged the whole series?! 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️ #ADiscoveryofWitches pic.twitter.com/2tMA6BbBu7 — ADiscoveryOfWitchTV (@ADiscoveryOfWTV) January 7, 2022

Baldwin de Clermont (played by Trystan Gravelle in seasons 1-2 and Peter McDonald in season 3)

His full name is Lucius Sigéric Benoit Christophe Baldwin de Clermont and he currently goes as Baldwin Montclair. He is the second and the eldest living child of Philippe and therefore the current head of the de Clermont family.

Baldwin was sired during the Roman Empire, placing his birth about 2,000 years ago. He is a sharp-minded strategist and has worked in financial markets for the last century. He served as the de Clermont family representative on the Congregation until the events of The Book of Life . Baldwin likes to remind people that he comes from the main branch of the clan, and looks down on Ysabeau and her children as less than. Naturally, he is not well-loved by his step-brother Matthew and the rest of the family.

Baldwin has a daughter, Miyako de Clermont, and is one of the godfathers of Rebecca Bishop-Clairmont, whom he dotes on.

Godfrey de Clermont

Godfrey was Philippe’s third and last full-blooded son. We do not know when he was born or when he was sired. He was killed in battle in 1668, fighting in one of the French king Louis XIV’s wars. He was the brother of Hugh, Baldwin and Godfrey, the stepson of Ysabeau and the stepbrother of Matthew.

Freyja de Clermont

Freyja is one of Philippe’s three living daughters. We do not know much about her history, but she currently lives in Paris. Marcus Whitmore affectionately calls her Aunt Fanny. Freyja was a very important figure in Marcus’s upbringing, raising him in her household when he first came to France. She first appears in Time’s Convert , where she hosts Phoebe Taylor at her house during her transition. Freyja can be terrifying, but she is also sweet and kind.

Verin de Clermont

Verin is another of Philippe’s surviving daughters. She briefly appears in Shadow of Night and plays a bigger role in The Book of Life . She currently lives in Berlin with her human husband Ernst Neumann, whom she loves very much. Verin saved Ernst from her stepmother Ysabeau de Clermont when he was young. Verin is known to the family for keeping her promises and never disappointing her father Philippe.

Diana de Clermont (played by Teresa Palmer)

Diana Bishop-Clairmont is Philippe’s third living daughter, and the only full-blooded de Clermont who is not a vampire. While Philippe did not sire her, he adopted her with a blood vow during the events of Shadow of Night . As Philippe’s blood-sworn daughter, Diana did not marry into the de Clermonts, as she is technically more full-blooded than her husband Matthew, with whom she shares no blood.

Diana is the protagonist of the series. She is a witch and a weaver, and a professor of alchemical history, with tenure at Yale. The daughter of Rebecca Bishop and Stephen Proctor, she was raised by her aunts Sarah Bishop and Emily Mather. Diana is married to Matthew, with whom she has three children: Rebecca and Philip Bishop-Clairmont, and Jack Blackfriars. She is also Marcus’s stepmother, Ysabeau’s daughter-in-law, and Baldwin’s sister.

Matthew de Clermont (played by Matthew Goode)

His full name is Matthew Gabriel Philippe Bertrand Sebastien de Clermont, and he currently goes as Matthew Clairmont; he’s been known as Mathew Roydon, Sebastian St. Clair, Gabriel ben Ariel, and Matteo Chiaromonte.

Matthew is Ysabeau’s son and Philippe’s stepson; he was born in the village of Saint Lucien by Sept-Tours in 500 AD and made into a vampire in 537 AD.

At one point in history — at least until 1591 — Matthew was the de Clermont family representative on the Congregation. He became the Grand Master of the Knights of Lazarus in 1945. He is a professor of genetics and a fellow of the All Souls College in Oxford. He is Diana’s husband and the father of Lucas (human son by his first wife Blanca), Jack, Rebecca and Philip. He also sired Benjamin Fuchs. Matthew is the head of the Bishop-Clairmont clan, a scion of the de Clermonts that answers primarily to him instead of Baldwin.

Gallowglass de Clermont (played by Steven Cree)

Gallowglass’s real name is Eric Ragnall Brendan William Sorley de Clermont. He is part Scot and part Norse, by way of Ireland. He fell in battle to Hugh de Clermont, who made him a vampire and a de Clermont.

For centuries after his father’s execution, Gallowglass didn’t set foot in France. His grandparents Philippe and Ysabeau are fond of him, and so is his uncle Matthew, who trusts Gallowglass like no other. We first meet Gallowglass in London in 1590 where he and Diana become fast friends. In  the present day, he is one of the godfathers of Philip Bishop-Clairmont.

Benjamin Fox (played by Jacob Ifan)

Benjamin Fuchs was a German crusader in the twelfth century. After discovering he wanted to reveal the de Clermont’s secrets, Matthew turned him into a vampire so that he couldn’t expose any secrets without exposing himself, and then abandoned him to live without a clan, a fate worse than death. Benjamin was erased from all de Clermont family records and in revenge vowed to destroy the family who cast him out.

We first meet Benjamin in  Shadow of Night , in 1591 at the court of Emperor Rudolph in Prague, and in the second season of the TV show. Despite Matthew being his sire, Benjamin is not recognized as a de Clermont. He is the father of Andrew Hubbard and the grandfather of Jack Blackfriars.

Marcus de Clermont (played by Edward Bluemel)

Marcus Raphael Galen Thomas Chauncey de Clermont, who currently goes as Dr. Marcus Whitmore, was an American medic who fought in the Revolutionary War. He was born as Marcus MacNeil in 1751. Matthew de Clermont offered him a chance at a new life when Marcus was dying of a fever in 1781, and made him a vampire.

Marcus is Matthew’s son. He is a passive carrier of the blood rage gene; unfortunately many of his own children were not so lucky. In the early 1800s, Marcus sired dozens of children in New Orleans. Because they exhibited signs of blood rage, Philippe ordered Matthew to eliminate them to protect the de Clermont’s secret. Marcus had to kill many of Marcus’s children and grandchildren, decimating his clan in Louisiana.

Marcus’s surviving children include Ransome and Gwendoline. Marcus is the brother of Jack, Rebecca and Philip, the cousin of Gallowglass, grandson of Philippe and Ysabeau, and Freyja’s favorite nephew. He is currently the Grandmaster of the Knights of Lazarus and Phoebe Taylor’s mate.

Jack…is that you? 😱 #Witchmas #ADiscoveryofWitches #tobyregbo @toby_regbo @AMCPlus @NOW @skytv @BadWolf_TV @DebHarkness pic.twitter.com/Dfzi15UxtB — ADiscoveryOfWitchTV (@ADiscoveryOfWTV) January 3, 2022

Jack Blackfriars (played by Joshua Pickering in season 2 and Toby Regbo in season 3)

Jack is a de Clermont both by blood and adoption. His last name denotes his status as an orphan of the Blackfriars. As a human boy in 1590 London, Jack was adopted by Matthew and Diana in the sixteenth century. Before their departure, Diana entrusted Jack to Father Hubbard, who made him a vampire when he was dying from plague. In an ironic turn of events, Hubbard was sired by Benjamin Fox, the son that Matthew made and then cast out, so Jack is technically Matthew’s vampire great-grandson as well as his adoptive son. He is the brother of Marcus, Rebecca and Philip, Ysabeau’s grandson, and a member of the Bishop-Clairmont scion.

Rebecca de Clermont

Rebecca Arielle Emily Marthe Bishop-Clairmont, affectionately nicknamed Becca by her family, is Diana and Matthew’s only daughter. Her namesake is her maternal grandmother Rebecca Bishop. Becca is a Bright-Born (the child born of parents from two different species), though more vampire than witch, as she enjoys blood more than human food. She has a twin brother, Philip, and two older brothers, Marcus and Jack. Rebecca’s godparents are vampires Miriam Shephard, Fernando Goncalves, Marcus Whitmore, Marthe, human Chris Roberts, and witch Vivian Harrison. Her grandmothers Ysabeau and Sarah and her uncle Baldwin dote on her.

Philip de Clermont

Philip Michael Addison Sorley Bishop-Clairmont, nicknamed Pip by his sister, is Diana and Matthew’s youngest son. His namesake is his paternal grandfather Philippe de Clermont. Pip is a Bright-Born, more witch than vampire, and he has a familiar, a griffin he calls Apollo. He is Rebecca’s twin and Jack and Marcus’s younger brother. Philip’s godparents are vampires Jack Blackfriars, Gallowglass de Clermont, human Phoebe Taylor, daemons Hamish Osbourne, Sophie Norman, and witch Amira. His brother Jack is especially protective of him.

Fernando understood the assignment 👀 🧛 #Witchmas #ADiscoveryofWitches @GuidyOlivier @AMCPlus @NOW @skytv @BadWolf_TV @DebHarkness pic.twitter.com/CXAjlOvtkx — ADiscoveryOfWitchTV (@ADiscoveryOfWTV) January 2, 2022

Fernando Goncalves (played by Olivier Huband)

Not an official de Clermont, Fernando is Hugh’s mate. The two were never married and Philippe never recognized their union, although they formed a scion and lived together for many centuries. He is Gallowglass’s stepfather and godfather of Rebecca Bishop-Clairmont, and a loyal friend to Matthew, who has always considered him family. Fernando is now part of the Bishop-Clairmont scion.

Power couple alert! 🔥 🧛 #Witchmas #ADiscoveryofWitches @AdelleLeonce @AMCPlus @NOW @skytv @BadWolf_TV @DebHarkness pic.twitter.com/RAHhYm9TYX — ADiscoveryOfWitchTV (@ADiscoveryOfWTV) December 19, 2021

Phoebe Taylor (played by Adelle Leonce)

Not a de Clermont by blood, Phoebe married into the family through her mating with Marcus. She was a human who was turned into a vampire by Miriam Shepard. As Marcus’ mate, Phoebe now goes by Madame de Clermont. She and Diana are good friends, and Freyja de Clermont is fond of her, as is Ysabeau.

We’ve heard rumours of a certain mercurial vampire residing in New Orleans… @ParkerSawyers plays Ransome. #ADiscoveryofWitches pic.twitter.com/zvbw7Hf5XU — ADiscoveryOfWitchTV (@ADiscoveryOfWTV) February 17, 2021

Ransome Fayrweather (played by Parker Sawyers)

Ransome is Marcus’ eldest son. He was sired in New Orleans at the time of the Louisiana Purchase. He had many siblings who were affected with blood rage and therefore killed by Matthew to protect the family secret. Ransome is the unofficial leader of the New Orleans clan and now part of the Bishop-Clairmont scion, officially answering to his grandfather Matthew de Clermont, after despising him for two centuries.

Fiercely intelligent and loyal to the core; Geraldine is one vampire you do NOT want to mess with. @GenesisLynea plays Geraldine. #ADiscoveryofWitches pic.twitter.com/pPhbCfuUlp — ADiscoveryOfWitchTV (@ADiscoveryOfWTV) February 19, 2021

Geraldine (played by Genesis Lynea)

Geraldine is a vampire and Marcus Whitmore’s daughter; she is one of his few remaining children from Louisiana. Not much is known about her from the books. As per author Deb Harkness’s website , Geraldine came to New Orleans with a traveling circus and was famous for her acrobatic skill and ability to swing from trapezes (and balconies on Bourbon Street). She lives in New Orleans with Ransome and the rest of the clan. She is now part of the Bishop-Clairmont scion.

The mysterious Hubbard has a warning for Matthew and Diana... but will they receive his blessing? 👀😬 Find out TONIGHT at 9pm on Sky One! #ADiscoveryofWitches #Witchmas @BadWolf_TV @DebHarkness pic.twitter.com/Srl423eFzp — ADiscoveryOfWitchTV (@ADiscoveryOfWTV) January 15, 2021

Andrew Hubbard (played by Paul Rhys)

Father Hubbard is the vampire king of London. He is not an official de Clermont, as his sire Benjamin Fuchs was disowned. Technically speaking, Hubbard is Matthew Clairmont’s grandson. He also sired Matthew and Diana’s adoptive son Jack Blackfriars, so their relations are a bit complex, but Hubbard means well. They mostly stay out of each other’s spheres of influence.

Hopefully you understand these characters and their relations better now. Who’s your favorite member of the de Clermont family, and why?

Next. A beginner’s guide to A Discovery of Witches. dark

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A Human’s Guide to the Complex Network of Characters in ‘A Discovery of Witches’

SPOILER ALERT: Warning, this article contains links that contain spoilers from the  All Souls  novel trilogy which may appear in the screen adaptation. Proceed at your own risk.

“It begins with absence and desire. It begins with blood and fear. It begins with a discovery of witches.”

Those words welcome you to the world of A Discovery of Witches , which has just made its television debut in the UK and will be available via streaming services in the US at a later date. Based on the popular novel by Deborah Harkness, A Discovery of Witches is the first book in the All Souls Trilogy — so there’s plenty of material to mine if this eight-part drama is well-received.

A Discovery of Witches deals with, yes, witches, but also incorporates other supernatural beings, including vampires and daemons. Living silently alongside humans, around one in ten people is a magical being. The Congregation, a committee of representatives from each of the magical races, protects everyone by ensuring no supernatural being attracts the attention of humans. This also means strictly no inter-species mingling.

What distinguishes this fantasy universe from others is real-life professor Harkness’s decision to immerse her story in the academic sphere at the University of Oxford. Here, at the prestigious Bodleian Library, Diana Bishop stumbles across a curious manuscript, Ashmole 782, which attracts the interest of many of her fellow magical beings, including the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont , and sets her on a path of discovery and danger, which will take her far beyond her faculty at Oxford.

Want to know more? Read on for a human’s guide to the characters of A Discovery of Witches .

Charms, spells, potions, mind-reading and precognition are all possible for witches, although many tend to have leanings towards one or two gifts over the others.

Diana Bishop

A talented academic researching 17th-century alchemy at Oxford, Diana has gained tenure at Yale young. She is reluctant to use her powers as a witch after rejecting her magical heritage following her parents’ deaths when she was seven years old. She is a descendant of Bridget Bishop, who was executed during the Salem witch trials. Due to her exceptional witchcraft pedigree, Diana holds gifts that she is only just about to discover.

Sarah Bishop and Emily Mather

Sarah is Diana’s fiercely protective aunt, who acted as her guardian and raised her from a young age. She is also a skilled witch. Emily is her partner, a children’s librarian and a witch too. They live in upstate New York.

Gillian Chamberlain

A witch and a classicist from Bryn Mawr, Gillian is keen for Diana to embrace her sisters and powers and join the local coven in Oxford. She also works alongside Knox after the discovery of Ashmole 782.

Knox is a powerful wizard and member of the Congregation. He warns — and threatens — Diana over her association with Matthew, and is desperate to know the secrets of Ashmole 782. He believes they will help protect and restore witches to their former glory. He also has a fondness for brown tweed.

Satu Järvinen

Another member of the shadowy Congregation, this Finnish witch decides to try to find and capture Diana after learning of her importance. Not to be crossed.

Vampires are cold, focused, dangerous — and, of course, devastatingly attractive. They tend to hide in the solitary careers of scientists, where it is easier to disguise immortality.

Matthew Clairmont

Matthew is an elusive genius, affiliated with Oxford Neuroscience at the John Radcliffe hospital. He is also a charming, handsome, 1,500-year-old vampire, most interested in Diana’s discovery of Ashmole 782. As a geneticist, he is concerned for the future of his and other magical species, amid reports of failed vampire transformations. He hopes this manuscript — and Diana — may hold the key.

Marcus Whitmore and Miriam Shepherd

Scientific colleagues of Matthew’s, Marcus and Miriam are also interested in the survival of their race. Miriam, however, is less than impressed with Diana and disapproves of the relationship developing between her and Matthew.

Marcus is more affable, and is also son (in the vampire sense) to Matthew. Watch out for him as his backstory is to be fully revealed in Deborah Harkness’ new novel, Time’s Convert .

Ysabeau de Clermont and Baldwin Montclair

The imposing matriarch of the de Clermont family, Ysabeau is Matthew’s vampire mother and widow of Philippe de Clermont . She lives in the château of Sept-Tours in France and, inconveniently, dislikes witches.

Baldwin is Matthew’s vampire brother, as a sire of Philippe de Clermont. He’s a successful investment banker, probably having a good idea of how financial markets mature as he’s been around since the Roman times.

Domenico Michele

Another representative of the Congregation, this real-life Venetian was the 35th Doge of Venice and is an ancient vampire, and former friend of Matthew’s.

Gerbert D’Aurillac and Juliette Durand

Another real figure from history, Gerbert is a former pope, ancient vampire and neighbour to the de Clermonts. He’s a dark character, whose motives are dubious. Juliette is a vampire with a complicated past, both sired and watched over by him.

Daemons are creative, artistic, often unnerving creatures, with an equal inclination towards madness and genius. “Rock stars and serial killers,” as Diana’s aunt would describe them.

Hamish Osbourne

Despite common bad blood between their species, daemon Hamish is the best friend of vampire Matthew from their days together at All Souls. A financial genius, Hamish lives in Scotland and can be called upon to impart sage advice.

The Wilsons

Agatha Wilson is a daemon member of the Congregation, an Australian, and a fashion designer. She makes contact with Diana early on in her bid to understand the significance of her discovery. Nathaniel Wilson is her son, and is married to fellow daemon Sophie Norman — who is the daughter of two witches. Their daughter, it transpires, is also a witch. You can see how this is going to become both complicated and significant.

Just one of significance in this category.

A very useful librarian at the Bodleian Library, Sean is a friend of Diana’s from graduate student days.

A Discovery of Witches premieres in the UK on September 14. A US premiere date is yet to be announced.

• TV Series Characters
• Female Characters
• Main Characters
• Season 1 Characters
• Season 2 Characters

Ysabeau de Clermont

• Edit source

Ysabeau de Clermont is Matthew Clairmont 's vampire mother in the All Souls Trilogy. She is described as having honey colored hair, perfect features, and looking slightly younger than her son. 

• 1 Background
• 2.1 A Discovery of Witches
• 2.2 Shadow of Night
• 2.3 The Book of Life
• 3 TV Series
• 4.1 A Discovery of Witches Season 1
• 4.2 A Discovery of Witches Season 2
• 4.3 A Discovery of Witches Season 3
• 5 References

Background [ ]

Ysabeau de Clermont is a vampire . Her full name is Genevieve Melisande Helene Ysabeau Aude de Clairmont. She was once married to Philippe de Clermont . She had several vampire children with Philippe. The middle son is Baldwin Montclair, known for his love of destruction and prowess at strategy. Hugh, the oldest of Philippe's three sons, was known as the negotiator. The youngest of the three was Godfrey, known to be the conscience of Philippe's sons. Ysabeau knew Matthew Clairmont from birth and watched him grow up to work as a stonemason for her husband. After Matthew lost his family to a fever, she watched him slip into a deep sorrow. One day, Matthew fell from a scaffold while he had been working on a church that Philippe was having built. Ysabeau came to Matthew and offered him eternal life as a vampire. He accepted and she became his mother. Ysabeau would often sing to Matthew, hoping to calm him when he was mourning the loss of his wife and son. During World War II, Philippe was tortured by Nazis and thereafter died. After her husband's death, Ysabeau would only hunt in Germany and Argentina.  She had a strong hatred for witches who helped prevent her husband from being rescued from the Nazis. She lives in Sept-Tours in France with Marthe , her housekeeper.

de Clermont home, Sept-Tours.

History [ ]

A discovery of witches [ ].

Ysabeau is introduced when Matthew brings Diana Bishop to their home, Sept-Tours in France, to get away from the threats that await them in Oxford. Immediately, Diana can tell that Matthew's mother is not happy to meet her. Ysabeau is known for her powerful dislike of witches. At the beginning of their stay, Ysabeau is cold to Diana and does not show much interest in behaving cordially to her. As time goes on, Ysabeau begins to respect Diana's strong will and principles. When the vampire, Domenico Michele comes to warn Diana and the de Clermont family about the Congregation's objections to Matthew and Diana's union, Ysabeau is protective of Diana. When Matthew leaves to return to Oxford, Ysabeau takes care of Diana when her witchwater almost drowns her. While watching over Diana after the incident, Ysabeau tells Diana the story of how she made Matthew into a vampire. While Matthew is away, Ysabeau takes Diana to watch her hunt animal blood, thinking it will make Diana reconsider her relationship with her son. When Matthew returns from Oxford and kisses Diana, Ysabeau tells them that because they are now mates, they have broken the covenant of the Congregation. When Diana is abducted by the Congregation, Ysabeau calls Baldwin to help Matthew track her down. When Matthew and Baldwin bring Diana back to Sept-Tours, Ysabeau helps tend to her injuries. She stays with Marthe at Sept-Tours when Diana and Matthew decide to go to the Bishop house in Madison, New York.

Shadow of Night [ ]

Ysabeau's earring helps Diana steer Matthew and herself to the past. Ysabeau is away from Sept-Tours in the 1590s when Matthew and Diana timewalk there, however, her ring on Diana's finger helps Philippe in the 1590s to recognize that Ysabeau accepted Diana as a daughter. In the present, Ysabeau tries to protect Matthew and Diana in the past by looking for anomalous historical artifacts that might reveal their location, and trying to arrange to obtain the artifacts and keep them out of the news. 

Ysabeau reveals to Diana's aunts, Sarah and Emily, whether or not there was once a witch who gave birth to a vampire child, with the power to cause fierce sea winds to blow.  Ysabeau becomes chatelaine of a household of family and others supporting the cause of the Knights of Lazarus at Sept-Tours in the present while Matthew and Diana are timewalking in the past. When they return, she detects whether or not Diana has become pregnant with Matthew's child

The Book of Life [ ]

Ysabeau on the origins of blood rage: "Matthew cannot tell you the beginning of this tale," Ysabeau said softly. "Only I can."

"No, Maman, " Matthew said, shaking his head. "That's not necessary."

"Of course it is," Ysabeau said. "I brought the disease into the family. I am a carrier, like Marcus."

"You?" Sarah looked stunned.

"The disease was in my sire. He believed it was a great blessing for a lamia to carry his blood, for it made you truly terrifying and nearly impossible to kill." The contempt and loathing with which Ysabeau said the word "sire" made me understand why Matthew disliked the term.

"There was constant warfare between vampires then, and any possible was seized. But I was a disappointment," Ysabeau continued. "My maker's blood did not work in me as he had hoped, though the blood rage was strong in his o

Ysabeau stopped and drew a shaky breath.

"As a punishment," she repeated slowly, "I was locked in a cage to provide my brothers and sisters with a source of entertainment, as well as a creature on whom they could practice killing. My sire did not expect me to survive."

Ysabeau touched her fingers to her lips, unable for a moment to go on.

"I lived for a very long time in that tiny, barred prison—filthy, starving, wounded inside and out, unable to die though I longed for it. But the more I fought and the longer I survived, the more interesting I became. My sire—my father—took me against my will, as did my brothers. Everything that was done to me stemmed from a morbid curiosity to see what might finally tame me. But I was fast—and smart.

My sire began to think I might be useful to him after all."

"That's not the story Philippe told," Marcus said numbly. "Grandfather said he rescued you from a fortress—that your maker had kidnapped you and made you a vampire against your will because you were so beautiful he couldn't bear to let anyone else have you. Philippe said your sire made you to serve as his wife."

"All of that was the truth—just not the whole truth." Ysabeau met Marcus's eyes squarely.

"Philippe did find me in a fortress and rescued me from that terrible place. But I was no beauty then, no matter what romantic stories your grandfather told later. I'd shorn my head with a broken shell that a bird had dropped on the window ledge, so that they couldn't use my hair to hold me down. I still have the scars, though they are hidden now. One of my legs was broken. An arm, too, I think," Ysabeau said vaguely. "Marthe will remember."

No wonder Ysabeau and Marthe had treated me so tenderly after La Pierre. One had been tortured, and the other had put her back together again after the ordeal. But Ysabeau's tale was not yet finished.

"When Philippe and his soldiers came, they were the answer to my prayers," Ysabeau said. "They killed my sire straightaway. Philippe's men demanded all of my sire's children be put to death so that the evil poison in our blood would not spread. One morning they came and took my brothers and sisters away. Philippe kept me behind. He would not let them touch me. Your grandfather lied and said that I had not been infected with my maker's disease—that someone else had made me and I had killed only to survive. There was no one left to dispute it."

TV Series [ ]

Ysabeau de Clermont is one of the oldest vampires in existence, and certainly one of the cleverest. Known for her beauty and elegance, Ysabeau was mated to the legendary Philippe de Clermont. Ysabeau is fiercely protective of her family and her concerns are primarily for her beloved son, Matthew. Because Philippe was held and experimented on by Nazis and witches during World War II, Ysabeau once vowed to kill every witch she could get her hands on. So when Matthew asks her to help him protect Diana she is angry and conflicted. Steely, ferociously intelligent and deeply loyal, Ysabeau is the strong female core at the centre of the de Clermont-clan. [1]

Appearances [ ]

A discovery of witches season 1 [ ].

• Episode 4 (Season 1)
• Episode 5 (Season 1)
• Episode 6 (Season 1)
• Episode 7 (Season 1)
• Episode 8 (Season 1)

A Discovery of Witches Season 2 [ ]

• Episode 2 (Season 2)
• Episode 4 (Season 2)
• Episode 6 (Season 2)
• Episode 8 (Season 2)
• Episode 10 (Season 2)

A Discovery of Witches Season 3 [ ]

• Episode 1 (Season 3)
• Episode 4 (Season 3)
• Episode 5 (Season 3)
• Episode 6 (Season 3)
• Episode 7 (Season 3)

References [ ]

• ↑ A Discovery of Witches Press Pack
• 1 Diana Bishop
• 2 Benjamin Fuchs
• 3 Matthew Clairmont

• AV Undercover

The honeymoon’s over in a dreary second season of A Discovery Of Witches

Don’t be alarmed, ’shippers of Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer) and Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode)—their bond is only strengthened by the events of A Discovery Of Witches season two. The forbidden love between witch and vampire powered the first outing for this fantasy drama , an adaptation of Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy. Whether A Discovery Of Witches struck you as “Harry Potter for grown-ups” or “a more soulful Underworld ,” the real show was the sparks between Palmer and Goode, which flew around them in sumptuous setting after sumptuous setting: the Bodleian library, an ancestral château. In gorgeous knits and equally beautiful outerwear, with aching glances and ancient languages, Diana and Matthew seduced each other and audiences.

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But their charms are muted in a new season packed with plot and circular storytelling. Season one made it clear: A Discovery Of Witches works best as a supernatural romance. For all the ominous talk of prophecies and hissing over age-old enmities—between witches and vampires, with demons just kind of along for the ride and humans (mostly) none the wiser—the battle brewing among these preternatural beings takes a backseat to the relationship between Diana and Matthew. Still, the worldbuilding was confidently done, the conflicts mapped out; directors Juan Carlos Medina, Alice Troughton, and Sarah Walker ensured A Discovery Of Witches was often as picturesque and sweeping as a big-screen fantasy adaptation.

It was great-looking escapist fare, the kind that’s only become more in demand since the series’ 2018 premiere. In its second season, A Discovery Of Witches makes even greater leaps across distance and time, to decidedly less transportive effect. When we last saw Diana and Matthew, they were preparing to hide out in the past long enough for Diana to learn to master her considerable magical powers, so they could track down the Book Of Life, which could hold the answers to, well, any number of quandaries faced by the four humanoid species. For Diana, a tenured historian with an abiding interest in alchemy, the Book Of Life could be the key to her past. Matthew, meanwhile, hopes the book will help him figure out why the “creatures” are dying out. We know these life-and-death stakes because they were introduced last season; they continue to loom as Diana and Matthew get all gussied up in period-appropriate fashions to scour Elizabethan London for clues on the book’s whereabouts and a teacher for Diana.

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While on their quest, the pair hit a few of the usual time-traveling snags, including worrying about running into your past self (luckily for modern-day Matthew, he spent the 1590s on covert missions in Scotland) and being a walking, talking anachronism (Diana’s accent raises all manner of eyebrows). Everywhere the couple turns, there’s a new peril: The Anglican Church, whether sniffing out witches or Catholics, poses a great threat. Then there are all the other witches and vampires roaming London, including the leader of a vampiric sect who seems to know Matthew well. Virtually every encounter with a local is fraught; even Matthew’s old “friend” Christopher Marlowe (a satisfyingly brooding Tom Hughes) is as wont to turn them in as he is help them find the mystical tome.

As important as the mission to obtain the book is, A Discovery Of Witches invests so much in this trip to the past that the contemporary storylines are left threadbare. Diana and Matthew may have successfully evaded their pursuers, but their friends and family are still open to attack from Gerbert d’Aurillac (Trevor Eve), Peter Knox (Owen Teale), and Satu Järvinen (Malin Buska). But if there’s a running clock on when such action will take place, it’s not evident in the show’s pacing. The first seven episodes of season two move unhurriedly, despite the throwing around of such piquant terms as “blood rage” and the arrival of historical figures like Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Walter Raleigh. Diana and Matthew are in the 1590s so long, they have the chance to sit for portraits (which pop up in the present day); they get so bogged down with side quests and other secondary adventures that, at one point, a title card flashes the words “Bohemia, 1591,” to give us back our bearings.

Season two of A Discovery Of Witches follows the blueprint laid out by Harkness’ Shadow Of The Night , the second book in the All Souls Trilogy, right down to the unwieldy plethora of characters and plot points. But one new addition cuts through the clutter: Philippe de Clermont (James Purefoy), Matthew’s stepfather and husband to Ysabeau (Lindsay Duncan). Once an unseen figure whose lingering disapproval haunted Matthew, Philippe is made flesh and blood (albeit immortal) by Purefoy’s performance, which is equal parts gravitas and rakish charm. Some of the most resonant emotional beats come from father and son confronting their past, but former Rome co-stars Purefoy and Duncan also give Goode and Palmer a run for their money in the romance department. The time in Sept-Tours, the de Clermonts’ ancestral home in Auvergne, France, is actually well spent—a rarity in a season overstuffed with narrative detours.

Though their chemistry helped even the silliest or most opaque fantastical aspects get over in their first outing, Diana and Matthew are also victim to the extraneous storytelling. A pattern is established early on: Matthew tells Diana something is too dangerous, she assures him she can handle herself. He tells her to stay inside; she goes out anyway. This repeats ad nauseam—they encounter new threats, which usually leads to Diana freeing up more of her magic powers. There is something powerful in seeing Diana so sure of her own abilities, but her well-earned confidence just makes the ongoing bickering over whether or not she can handle being in Elizabethan London pointless, even dull. Their fighting and the noticeable decline in romantic overtures could represent a very earthly development: the first rush of infatuation is over. But the series never properly folds such an observation into Diana and Matthew’s story this season. It’s also just unlikely that the show’s writers, including Sarah Dollard, Susie Conklin, and Pete McTighe, are ready to move the couple out of their honeymoon phase—not when their romance is still the strongest element of the series. Because Goode and Palmer still shine together, especially in the moments when Diana and Matthew are allowed to as well.

The premiere of Bridgerton proved once again that viewers are readily swept away by richly detailed period or historical drama. A Discovery Of Witches is just as well made a show, and equally as swoony (despite having nowhere near as much sex). But both its fantasy and romance are too weighted down in season two; in its dedication to recreating the historical setting of Elizabethan London, the series loses some of its magic. The remaining three episodes have a lot of ground to recover, which will be hard to do with or without the Book Of Life.

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Episode list

A discovery of witches.

S3.E1 ∙ Episode #3.1

S3.E2 ∙ Episode #3.2

S3.E3 ∙ Episode #3.3

S3.E4 ∙ Episode #3.4

S3.E5 ∙ Episode #3.5

S3.E6 ∙ Episode #3.6

S3.E7 ∙ Episode #3.7

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Castle of the Sept Tours

Monument in courcelles-de-touraine.

The Château du Vivier des Landes, now called "Château golf des Sept Tours" is located in the town of Courcelles-de-Touraine , in Indre-et-Loire , 34 km north-west of Tours.

The building was first a manor with three towers built in the 16th century, to the east of the village. It was then a stronghold under Château-la-Vallière .

In 1815, acquired by an English nobleman, the manor was given two additional towers on the south side, and a large living room was added. Stables and a building dedicated to brewing beer were also built during this period.

Two additional towers were erected in 1834 by the Comte de Brissac, who also had the chapel restored.

In general, as fashion wanted in the 19th century, the building has been remodeled in a neo-Gothic style that blends with the medieval bases (moats now dry, interior stone staircase, remains of a drawbridge, monumental fireplaces, vaulted rooms in the basement).

From the 19th century, false battlements and machicolations are visible on the large southern tower, the music room in the old brewery, pepper shakers at the level of the towers, sculpted columns at the ceiling of the stable, the doors and the altarpiece (now transferred to the restaurant) of the chapel…

The castle has become the center of a 76-hectare estate where an 18-hole golf course has been designed. The house has been converted into a hotel with a restaurant.

Paintings and wallpaper from the 19th century have been preserved, as well as the Louis XV or Directoire furniture. The chapel has turned into a clubhouse.

Information on +33 2 47 24 69 75.

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