5 must-see movies on Rome & filming locations you can visit

A city brimming with art, culture, and history, it's no wonder so many iconic movies have been shot in the picturesque Italian capital of Rome. Immerse yourself in the mystery thriller of Angels and Demons or follow in the footsteps of the accidental pop star in The Lizzie McGuire Movie.

Here are some of the best movies on Rome to binge-watch and all the real-life film locations that you can experience in person. So pack your bags and buckle up, we've got a Roman Holiday to go on.

Shot in 1953, Roman Holiday is a classic movie that stars Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. Hepburn plays Ann, a European princess that makes a state visit to Rome. Frustrated with her tight schedule, Ann bunks off from her royal duties and falls asleep on a park bench. In comes reporter Joe Bradley, played by Peck, and a budding romance ensues.

Walk the streets that Ann once traversed at Cinecittà Studios (where most of the movie was shot) with the Cinecittà Shows Off tour and experience a day in Rome just like Ann. Cinecittà Studios is one of the largest film studios in Europe and is still utilized today for its amazing reconstructions of real-life locations like the Sistine Chapel.

Take a trip back to the 1960s with La Dolce Vita, a dramedy directed and co-written by Federico Fellini, a man most would consider a genius in Italian cinema. Fellini’s film follows the life of Italian journalist Marcello Rubini, played by Marcello Mastroianni, and his quest for love and happiness over seven days and seven nights.

This movie on Rome gives us a beautiful tour of the Italian city and features locations such as the St Peter’s Basilica, Piazza del Popolo, and the Trevi Fountain, where Sylvia and Marchello famously take a splash in. Though don’t try to jump into the Trevi Fountain—you’ll come out of it €450 poorer.

Follow Rubini’s journey and his hedonistic adventures of love, life, and hilarious ridiculousness and have a romantic slice of 1960s Rome with this La Dolce Vita movie tour.

Starring Hillary Duff, Adam Lamberg, and Clayton Snyder, The Lizzie McGuire Movie follows a group of American high schoolers in Rome for a school trip with a twist. Lizzie McGuire finds herself as a stand-in for Italian pop star, Isabella Parigi, to perform at the International Music Video Awards at the Colosseum.

Visit the Spanish Steps where Lizzie emerges after her fun makeover and make a wish in the Trevi Fountain, just like Lizzie did. In the wise words of Miss McGuire, this is what dreams are made of.

Starring Matt Damon, The Talented Mr. Ripley is an American psychological thriller that features love, deceit, and murder. Watch the brazen ways of Tom Ripley as he manipulates his way to a life of extravagance and the sinister choices he makes to maintain his lifestyle baked from untruths.

Part of this film features locations in Rome such as the Caffè Latino, where Dickie takes Tom to after he learns of his love for jazz, and Piazza Navona, where Dickie introduced Tom to Freddie, a fellow rich young American. And of course, Capitoline Hill, where we witness Tom Ripley taking in the breathtaking views of the Roman Forum.

Released in 2009, Angels and Demons stars Tom Hanks and is the sequel to The Da Vinci Code. This American mystery thriller features murder and kidnappings as Professor Robert Langdon and his compatriots weave through conspiracies and thickly woven lies to uncover the mastermind.

Visit ​​Biblioteca Angelica, where our main protagonists started their quest around Rome to find the path of illumination. The Biblioteca Angelica is considered to be the oldest European public library and is worth a visit for its beautiful interiors and towering shelves of books.

Another location that Angels and Demons was shot at is the Pantheon, the first stop made to find the four missing cardinals and the canister of anti-matter. It’s the oldest Catholic Church in Rome which today continues to provide mass twice weekly.

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