Movies to Watch before Visiting Rome
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One rainy Sunday, sniffing my way thru a cold and curled up with a blanket, I watched Roman Holiday for the first time. Audrey Hepburn zipping through cobbled streets on a Vespa, the Trevi Fountain glistening under moonlight, babe Gregory Peck’s dry wit…I was in love with Rome and now on a mission to visit!
If you’re the kind of traveler who daydreams long before takeoff, other than checking out fabulous travel blogs and YouTube videos, watching movies filmed at your destination is a great way to get the feel!
These are the movies to watch before visiting Rome: films that not only feature the city’s famous sights but capture the feeling of being there. Check out this list of movies to really get you even more motivated for your trip!
Roman Holiday (1953)
Ahhhh this is the ultimate classic Rome film for me! So charming and funny! Audrey Hepburn, who won the Best Actress Oscar for this role, is a princess who has escaped her royal duties for the day and is exploring Rome on her own. Gregory Peck is an American reporter who accidentally becomes her tour guide. Eddie Albert (Mr. Douglas of Green Acres!) is the reporter’s hilarious photographer friend.
Featured Rome Sights:
- Mouth of Truth at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin
- Pantheon
- Castel Sant’Angelo
- Trevi Fountain
- Spanish Steps
- Colosseum
- Piazza Venezia
- Palazzo Colonna
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Based on a novel set in the 1950s this psychological thriller will keep you dazzled by the gorgeous scenery and actors, as well as on the edge of your seat for whats going to happen next. It stars Matt Damon (charming and creepy in equal measure) who was hired by the father of Jude Law’s character to convince “Jude” to come home to the US after galavanting around Italy.
Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett and Philip Seymour Hoffman also star.
I wasn’t expecting this movie to make me want to travel. But I was hooked by the film’s golden glow: those wide shots of Roman piazzas and dramatic staircases felt almost too good to be real. After watching, I found myself Googling flights to Rome “just to see.” A few months later, I was standing on the Spanish Steps, pretending not to be a total movie nerd.
Featured Rome Sights:
- Piazza Navona
- Spanish Steps
- Piazza di Spagna
- Forum
- Capitoline Hill
- Positano, Venice, Ischia and Procida are also featured!
Book Club 2: The Next Chapter (2023)
This movie features Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen touring Rome and Venice for “Jane’s” bachelorette party. If you’re into this sort of rom-com, you’ll probably enjoy it, otherwise just fast forward to check out the scenery 😀
Featured Rome Sights:
- Fiumicino Airport
- Via dei Coronari
- Spanish Steps
- Trevi Fountain
- Grand Plaza Hotel (which portrays a hotel in Venice in the film)
When In Rome (2010)
Kristen Bell stars in this cute romantic comedy. She travels from NYC to Rome for her sisters wedding and ends up taking a few coins out of a fountain. This, of course causes all kinds of problems with the original owners of each coin magically falling madly in love with her. Hijinx ensue. Its a fun romp which gives a nice glimpse Rome!
The plot is a nod to the Three Coins in the Fountain (1954) about 3 women in Rome who throw coins in a fountain and find love.
Featured Rome Sights:
- Piazza Borghese (where a fictional Venus statue / fountain was created for this movie)
- Forum
- Spanish Steps
- Piazza della Maddalena
- Colosseum
- Pantheon
- Trevi Fountain
To Rome With Love (2012)
This movie by Woody Allen was filmed entirely in Rome, after Roman distributors offered Allen financing as long as it was filmed there. It’s comprised of 4 different stories, all centered around fame and success.
The sheer amount of Rome in every frame won me over. What stood out to me most was how the film showed everyday life in Rome: locals at the market, old buildings in disrepair, scooters buzzing by. It made me crave espresso at a tiny street café.
Featured Rome Sights:
- Termini Station
- Fiumicino Airport
- Trevi Fountain
- Piazza Campo De Fiori
- Piazza del Popolo
- Turtle Fountain
- Piazza Navona
- Villa Borghese
- Spanish Steps
Only You (1994)
Marisa Tomei and her real life boyfriend at the time, Robert Downy Jr., star in this romantic comedy. Marisa beleives she has found her soul mate, just as he is leaving on a flight to Italy, so she follows him and tries to track him down. This is a cute, fluffy movie, that I actually thought got better as it went along.
Featured Rome Sights:
- Piazza Navona
- Esquiline Hill
- Tiber Island
- Piazza at the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere
- Venice, Positano, and Venice are also featured!
Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
This 1954 romantic comedy is about 3 American women who move to Rome for their sectrarial jobs, and they are all looking for love. Great fashions. It was fun to see the sights from so long ago looking pretty much the same as they do now. Really brings home the idea that Rome is the Eternal City! Three Coins in the Fountain won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Song (by Uncle Frank).
Featured Rome Sights:
- Trevi Fountain
- Spanish Steps
- Villa Borghese
- Colosseum
- St. Peter’s Square
More Movies filmed in Rome
If this list sparked your imagination, you’re in for a treat, Rome has been the backdrop for thousands of films. From indie romances to globe-trotting action flicks, directors can’t resist the city’s charm.
Here are a few more movies to add to your pre-trip binge list:
- Angels & Demons – for thrill-seekers and Vatican mystery lovers
- Eat Pray Love – for solo soul-searchers and pasta lovers
- La Dolce Vita – the quintessential Italian classic that put Rome on the cinematic map
- Spectre – for James Bond fans who love a high-speed chase through the Eternal City
- Gladiator – though filmed on a set, it evokes ancient Rome like nothing else
For an even longer list of films set in Rome, check out this Wikipedia page.
And if you’re also heading to Florence, don’t miss my guide to the filming locations of A Room with a View—another movie that made me swoon for Italy.
Ready to Fall in Love with Rome?
Whether you’re packing your bags or just planning your dream trip from the couch, these movies are the perfect way to get lost in the beauty of Rome before you even arrive.
Which film are you watching first? Drop a comment or DM me on Instagram—I love hearing how people connect to Rome through film.
And if you’re deep in travel-planning mode, check out:
The 7 Must-See Sights in Rome
Why I’m Still Gushing Over the Eternal City
See you at the fountain!
