Mouth of Truth Archives - Revealed Rome

Where Famous Movies Were Filmed in Rome

“Cinecitta Shows Off,” the new exhibit at Rome’s famous movie studios, isn’t the only way to delve into Rome’s cinematic past.

The other way: Simply walking around Rome.

Many famous movies, including many of Fellini’s, were, of course, filmed here. Want to go on a cinema-themed walk? Here are some top stops. (Note: Obviously, I can’t take credit for any of these movie-still photos).

Piazza del Popolo. The piazza is one of the first clues in Tom Hanks’ Angels & Demons.

Spanish Steps. This staircase is so famous, it’s shown up in lots of films. Some of the most famous, and most recent: Roman Holiday, where Hepburn enjoys her gelato, and The Talented Mr. Ripley, where Ripley arranges for Meredith, Marge and Peter Smith-Kingsley to meet (above).

Via Margutta, near the Spanish Steps. Number 51 is where Audrey Hepburn spent that fateful night in Joe Bradley/Gregory Peck’s bed (without him — we’re talking 1953 here) in Roman Holiday. In real life, Fellini himself lived here at number 110.

Via della Stamperia, near the Trevi Fountain. Here, at number 85, is where Audrey got her (oh-so-shocking!) haircut in Roman Holiday.

Trevi Fountain. It’s the location of one of the most famous scenes in Rome movie history: Anita Ekberg wading through the waters, getting Marcello Mastroianni to come join her, in Fellini’s 1960 blockbuster La Dolce Vita . (If you haven’t seen it, now’s your chance, above). Hepburn and Peck had a scene here, too.

Via Veneto. The slick shopping street where Ekberg and Mastroianni meet, before driving to a castle, in La Dolce Vita.

Pantheon. One of the pivotal clues for Tom Hank’s character in Angels and Demons; Hepburn and Peck come here, too.

Via dei Fori Imperiali. Here’s where Hepburn passed out on a bench in one of Roman Holiday’s first scenes, only to be roused by Peck. At the nearby Forum Hotel’s rooftop bar, The American Bar, the characters from the 1991 rom-com Only You (played by Robert Downey, Jr. and Marisa Tomei) share a romantic dinner.

Piazza Navona. In that moment recreated on movie posters worldwide (although it looks like they changed the background for it… hmm), here’s where Julia Roberts sat on a bench in front of the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone and ate her gelato in Eat, Pray, Love (below). Hepburn and Peck had a scene here. This is also the final clue, and culminating scene, in Angels and Demons. And it’s where Faith and her sister-in-law hunt for Faith’s “soul mate.”

Via dei Portoghesi. Here, at number 7, is where Julia Roberts stayed as Liz Gilbert in Eat Pray Love. At nearby Ristorante Santa Lucia (Largo Febo 12), Liz shows off her Italian to her friends by reeling off the Italian on the menu.

Colosseum. Shots of the famous theater play a part in Roman Holiday, Eat Pray Love, Only You, and many others.

“Mouth of Truth.” Here’s where Hepburn stuck her hand, much to her fear and delight, in Roman Holiday… a scene recreated in Only You nearly 40 years later.

Castel Sant’Angelo. Where all the dancers fell into the water in Roman Holiday; the exterior was shot for Angels and Demons, too.

St. Peter’s Basilica. Used in TThe Godfather Part III. And the piazza was part of that pivotal last scene in that instant classic… Eurotrip.

Santa Maria in Trastevere. The church here served as a backdrop in a pivotal romantic scene between Tomei and Downey, Jr. in Only You. The nearby Trastevere restaurant, Galeassi Ristorante, is where they eat.

Porta Portese. Key scenes from Bicycle Thieves were filmed at this Sunday market in Trastevere.

Also: the most idyllic island escapes from Rome, 11 etiquette mistakes not to make at an Italian meal and one of the loveliest little leather shops around.

If you liked this post, you’ll love The Revealed Rome Handbook: Tips and Tricks for Exploring the Eternal City, available for purchase on Amazon or through my site here! I’m also free for one-on-one consulting sessions to help plan your Italy trip.

A Medieval Church with More than Meets the Eye: Rome’s St. George in Velabro

November 20, 2010 No Comments

St. George in Velabro is one of the most-overlooked churches in Rome…in one of the city's most-overlooked central areas, the Forum Boarium. That's a shame, because it's one of Rome's loveliest small-church gems. And, located between the Aventine and Palatine hills, it's hardly far from Rome's major sights.

The church isn't elaborate. If you're used to seeing Rome's Baroque masterpieces or Mannerist frescoes, it can seem somewhat plain. But that's all part of its charm.

And, more importantly, its age. St. George in Velabro dates back to the 5th century, and most of the brick facade is 7th century. The apse and much of the rest of the interior were built in the 9th century; the campanile, the 12th century (though rebuilt in 1837); the present portico along with the interior frescoes, the 13th century. As a result, St. George in Velabro is a thoroughly Romanesque church — and beautiful in its seeming simplicity.

But don't let the style, or small size, fool you: The basilica is rich in history and treasures. For worshipers coming here for 1,300 years, the most important are the relics that give the church its name… the bones of St. George. (Yes, the same saint who slaid a dragon and is the patron of not just England, but Genoa, Venice, Barcelona, Portugal, Lithuania, Georgia, the Crusaders, and the Boy Scouts. Really. That means this is one saint who has a lot of bones in a lot of churches worldwide, something of an issue for skeptics). St. George's (supposed) cranium is kept in a red-lined case under the 12th-century altar, one of the most beautiful altars of its day.

That's not it for this church. Don't miss the frescoes in the ceiling of the apse, done in 1300 by Pietro Cavallini, Rome's best-known artist of the time. (If his style looks familiar, then a) you have a good eye and b) you've probably been to the Church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, where his fresco of the Last Judgment is considered to be his masterpiece).

Note, too, all of the ancient Roman remnants tucked into this church. The 16 columns inside, for example, date from the first to seventh centuries and were taken from ancient structures on the Palatine. (Medieval recycling!) Don't miss, either, the ancient arch seemingly built into the left side of the church's exterior. The arch dates to 264 A.D., and the church was actually built into it. Called the arco degli argentari, the arch was a gate on the road between the main forum and the forum boarium, where moneychangers (argentari) worked.

Finally, there's one last thing to this church that doesn't meet the eye: its toughness. I don't mean in terms of its mere age. On July 27, 1993, a Mafia-set car bomb exploded just outside the church's portico. (Two other simultaneous bombings took place at Rome's San Giovanni in Laterano and Milan's duomo; six people were killed). The 13th-century porch of St. George in Velabro was shattered. A hole blew through the wall. More than 1,000 fragments left from the bombing were pieced carefully together in the ensuing repairs. But take a closer look. The damaged capitals of the columns on the porch, along with other details, haven't been fixed, a testament to the crime.

San Giorgio in Velabro is located is located on Via del Velabro 19, a short walk from the Mouth of Truth and Circus Maximus. Click here for a map. For more information, click here.