From Genovia to Aldovia, movies create a whimsical, mismatched version of Europe for their festive settings.
Hollywood often blends various elements of real European countries into fictional locations that serve as settings for holiday movies. Popular Netflix franchises like A Christmas Prince and The Princess Switch create countries with names like Belgravia, Aldovia, and Montanero—places that don’t exist in reality but draw from Romania, Italy, Switzerland, and other parts of Europe. These settings are designed to evoke an air of European charm, albeit in a somewhat exaggerated, fantasy-driven way, complete with the obligatory bad British accents.
The creation of these “Europeland” locations raises the question of what they are meant to represent. Are they standalone countries with distinct identities, or are they simply mashups of various European cultures designed to offer an idealized version of Europe? One example is the kingdom of Genovia in The Princess Diaries, a fictional country that blends aspects of France, Monaco, and Greece. Its royal name and setting reflect the Hollywood tendency to mix cultural references and offer viewers a taste of European fantasy rather than a geographically accurate depiction.
In these films, Europe isn’t about precision or real-world geography. It’s a place for imagination, a fictional landscape where different cultural elements can be combined into one dreamlike setting. This romanticized version of Europe appeals to audiences seeking an escapist experience, where a range of European influences are distilled into a singular, accessible fantasy.
