Classic Films to inspire your next Italian vacation

Italy has long inspired filmmakers and moviegoers with its historical ruins, beautiful vistas, and cosmopolitan cities steeped in glitz and glamour. Whether you’re in need of Italy vacation ideas or simply want to satisfy your wanderlust via the small screen, here are a few recommendations that capture the charm, beauty, and culture of one of Europe’s most captivating countries.

Roman Holiday (1953)

Filmed entirely in Rome, the black-and-white classic Roman Holiday is part romance, part travelogue. The Oscar-winning comedy stars Gregory Peck as reporter Joe Bradley, who meets runaway Princess Anne (Audrey Hepburn, who resided in the city for 20 years). Shunning her royal duties for a day of freedom in the Eternal City, she embarks on a fairy-tale romance. (Rumor has it the film is based on the real-life adventures of British royal Princess Margaret.)

Familiar landmarks include the Spanish Steps (where the couple shares a gelato), the Colosseum (where they speed by on a Vespa), the Trevi Fountain, and the Square of the Mouth of Truth, or Piazza Bocca della Verità in Italian. Likely dedicated to the god of the sea, the sculpture is a popular Instagram spot located on the walls of the Santa Maria in Cosmedin church.

The 19th-century Baroque Palazzo Brancaccio and 17th-century Palazzo Barberini, which serve as Princess Ann’s embassy, are worthy of a visit, along with the cylindrical tower that houses Hadrian’s tomb. Now a museum known as the Castel Sant’Angelo, this is where the couple enjoys a night of dancing by the river.

La Dolce Vita (1960)

The legendary filmmaker Federico Fellini’s satirical classic La Dolce Vita chronicles a week in the life of journalist Marcello Rubini (Marcello Mastroianni) as he experiences “the sweet life” of late ’50s Rome.

While most of the film was shot in Rome’s famous Cinecittà Studios, some 80 locations—such as the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, Via Veneto, and various nightclubs—provide the backdrop. An extremely popular tourist spot designed by Michelangelo, St. Peter’s Dome is one of the largest domes in the world, and it influenced the design of the United States Capitol. Those looking for adventure and a magnificent view can sojourn to the top via 491 stairs.

Perhaps one of the most famous celluloid scenes immortalized in film history is actress Anita Ekberg wading through the Trevi Fountain in a black and white evening gown, soon to be joined by Mastroianni. No stranger to the camera and a tourist favorite, the Trevi Fountain is also prominently featured in Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), When in Rome (1952), and many other films.

Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)

Author Frances Mayes’s best-selling memoir turned film Under the Tuscan Sun follows a San Francisco writer (played by Diane Lane) who, after a bad divorce and ten-day Italy vacation in Tuscany, decides to relocate. Filmed in the idyllic Tuscan town of Cortona (which boasts an Etruscan museum), the main action takes place around the renovation of her villa. Known as Villa Laura in real life, it is also a popular wedding venue.

The Amalfi Coast’s picturesque Positano, where colorful houses precariously fill the hillside, is another scenic film location. While in Positano, be sure to tour the town on a Vespa, have a cocktail on the terrace of the Le Sirenuse hotel, take a boat to neighboring Capri, or party at Music on the Rocks, which is a nightclub located in a cave.

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

Writer and director Anthony Minghella’s psychological thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley depicts late ’60s period Italy in all its stylish glory. While the cult classic is undoubtedly A-list—with Matt Damon as chameleon Tom Ripley, Jude Law (Dickie), Gwyneth Paltrow (Marge), Cate Blanchett (Meredith), and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman (Freddie)—Italy is the real star. Venice, Rome, Naples, and Anzio (which doubles as San Remo) enjoy their time in the cinematic spotlight. Rome’s Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, and Piazza di Spagna are prominent locations, as is Caffè Florian in Venice, where Marge sports a chic leopard coat and pillbox hat. Opened in 1720, it is the oldest café in Europe. Built by Italian architects Giuseppe Ponga and Cesare Rota, the famed coffee house features work by 19th-century artists, red velvet banquettes, gold-leaf walls, and marble furnishings.

The colorful island of Procida in the Amalfi Coast’s Bay of Naples is the location for the fictional fishing village Mongibello (filmed in the real-life village of Corricella), where Dickie and Marge reside. What the tiny island lacks in size, it makes up for it in culture. Named Italy’s Capital of Culture for 2022, the 17th-century fisherman’s outpost turned tourist spot is a lesson in traditions and moving at a slower pace. Scenic beaches such as Pozzo Vecchio, classic bakeries, and boutiques filled with local crafts await, and in the background of many shots, the picturesque Castello Aragonese visibly rises out of the water next to the nearby island of Ischia. Eagle-eyed cinephiles will recognize Procida from the 1994 Oscar-nominated Il Postino.

A Room with a View (1985)

The Renaissance capital city of Florence takes center stage in Merchant-Ivory’s A Room with a View. Based on E.M. Forster’s 1908 romance novel, the story tells the tale of a young woman, Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter), who travels to Italy during the repressed Edwardian era. Set against the panoramic views of the Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio, much of the film centers around her time at the fictitious Pensione Bertolini, which is now the Hotel degli Orafi (and formerly the Quisisana e Ponte Vecchio). Located in the heart of Florence, the 12th-century property was formerly an Augustinian convent and boarding house. With its original frescoes, classical interiors, and views of the Arno, it’s no wonder A Room with a View won an Oscar for art direction in 1986.

Lucy’s travels around the city take her to Dante’s Tomb, the Villa di Maiano, and the Tuscan countryside of Fiesole, where she experiences her first kiss. With its painted ceilings, antique tapestries, Murano glass chandeliers, and manicured gardens, the 15th-century Villa di Maiano is both a favorite set for Hollywood filmmakers and the perfect backdrop for a Tuscan wedding.