Six-episode mini-series from Hungary and Turkey, but in the English language. (Sai Bennett is English. Greta Ferro is Italian, as is the character she played.)
The budget was reputed to be nearly 30 million dollars. Filming was completed in 2023, but the post-production was slow.
The series is inspired by the novel “El Turco – II. Viyana Kusatmasinin Bilinmeyen Yönleri” by Orhan Yeniaras. Balaban, a soldier in the Janissary army, which consisted of European slaves who had converted to Islam, serves as an Ottoman intelligence officer. The Ottoman army loses the Battle of Vienna in 1683, and he is taken prisoner. After he escapes, he is found wounded and rescued by the people of Moena, a small town in northern Italy. He settles there and organizes a peasant uprising against the feudal overlords who oppressed and overtaxed the people. Knowing his Ottoman origins, they nicknamed him El Turco.
It is based on a local legend. There is a bust of Balaban Hasan in Moena, although there is no compelling evidence that such a person ever existed.
According to some local traditions and folklore in the Dolomite region of Italy (particularly in Moena, a town in Trentino), Hasan Balaban is said to be a Turkish soldier or leader who ended up in the area during the late 17th century. The story goes that he arrived in the region during a period when Ottoman forces were engaged in conflicts with European powers, including the Venetians and Austrians. He is sometimes portrayed as a heroic or tragic figure in these stories.
There isn’t clear historical evidence that a figure named Hasan Balaban directly interacted with Moena in a significant way, but this connection could be part of a local legend or romanticized story over time. It may have been a popular tale passed down through generations, connecting a figure from the Ottoman world to a remote part of Italy.
The story and his supposed connection to Moena became particularly popular in the region, with local legends giving him a somewhat heroic or noble status, likely due to his military background and possible involvement in local conflicts or as a symbol of resistance.
So while there’s no concrete historical record confirming Hasan Balaban’s direct role in Italy during the 17th century, the legend persists as part of local folklore, especially in Moena.
I wonder why he got a Spanish nickname. Wouldn’t the people of Italy call him Il Turco?
Anyway …
Excellent nudity. I had never heard of Greta Ferro, but she looks great with her clothes off. (And with them on.) And Sai Bennett is no slouch herself.
Greta Ferro
Sai Bennett
