1492: Conquest Of Paradise | 1992

To mark the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's landing in what would be dubbed 'The New World', film companies anticipated a Columbus frenzy and two competing productions were released in the same year. Neither set the box office alight, but Ridley Scott's lavish version way outperformed John Glen's disastrous Christopher Columbus: The Discovery, despite the presence of Marlon Brando.

This production uses several of the genuine historical locations in Spain, including the cities of Caceres; Trujillo; Seville; and Salamanca.

In Salamanca, scenes were filmed in the Old Cathedral (the city has twin cathedrals fused together as part of the same complex in the centre of town); in the Convento of San Esteban, a Dominican monastery built at the end of the 16th century, and also on the Plaza Mayor.

In Seville, filming took place in the Real Alcázar of Sevilla, the royal palace, and in the Casa de Pilatos, Plaza de Pilatos, according to legend a copy of the 'Jerusalem house of Pontius Pilate. Sadly, this is a myth. The truth is that, during the performance of a religious play here in the 16th century, the character of Pilate appeared at a window to deliver a speech. Since then the palace has been popularly referred to as Pilate´s home.

The villa crops up again as the 'Middle East' in David Lean's 1962 epic Lawrence Of Arabia and as the hideout of the main villain in Tom Cruise-Cameron Diaz action comedy Knight And Day. .

Columbus’ landfall takes place on a beach near to Jaco in Costa Rica. Ten major sets were constructed here, including the city of 'Isabel'.

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