It was the sublimation of a city taken to the screen. That unforgettable romance made in Hollywood left for posterity the most beautiful postcards of the Italian capital. He, Gregory Peck, in the role of an American journalist eager for an exclusive; she, Audrey Hepburn, in the skin of a Central European princess bored with protocols. In the background, a cheerful and bright Rome determined to heal the wounds of the Second World War.
Directed by William Wyler and released in 1953, Roman Holiday was much more than a romantic comedy: a cinematic masterpiece that transcended the chemistry between its leads to paint an inimitable urban portrait in black and white. The Eternal City is so favored that it is impossible to strip its image from the route that this glamorous couple takes on a Vespa through its emblematic corners.
Seventy years later, we emulate these funny scenes on the back of the motorcycle that is, because of and despite the film, an icon of Italian style. As much as our starting point: the new H10 Palazzo Galla, the perfect hotel to explore the attractions of Rome.
Located in a 19th-century bourgeois building that has undergone comprehensive reform, its position could not be more privileged in the heart of the historic center and within the Trevi district. This neighborhood is the one that concentrates the most representative monuments: the forum, Trajan’s column, the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum.
All, one step away from this accommodation whose interior is inspired by Roman classicism, but with the elegance and personality provided by certain contemporary winks. The use of noble materials such as marble, velvet or brass is added to beds with double headboards, lacquered furniture, walls with plant motifs and elements that allude to the history of what was once the capital of the world.
For all of this, but especially for the wonderful views that pour out from all of its rooms, this high-end hotel, equipped with a restaurant, gym and a magnificent rooftop, is the perfect start for a Vespa tour with the On Movo company.
Here, in Piazza Venezia, the route begins. A very successful point since it is the nerve center of Rome, where not only two of the most important avenues intersect (Via del Corso and Via dei Fori Imperiali) but also the past with the future, history with the modernity, all presided over by the majestic and controversial monument alla Patria, the most bombastic display of the pride of the Italian nation.
You have to leave it behind, as the protagonists do in the film, to direct the route to the most famous fountain in the city, with whose image the princess performs one of her acts of rebellion: cutting her hair in a supposed nearby hairdresser. that does not exist in reality.
The Trevi Fountain is not the only landmark that we cross with the Vespa on the characteristic Roman cobblestones. We will also stop at the forum, the one that was, more than the bustling social heart, a monumental display of vanity in stone and marble. Also in the Massimo circus, where the famous chariot races were held. And in the Marcello theater, built by Julio César and finished off by Augusto, who gave it this name in honor of his nephew.
And, of course, we will stop at the Colosseum, the largest amphitheater in the empire, which accommodated 50,000 spectators eager for entertainment that at that time consisted of the recreation of battles, fights between gladiators or the execution of prisoners.
Just as the amusing cinematographic couple insists on discovering all the corners of the city, the motorcycle route advances through its large and small attractions. Like the Giardino degli Aranci (Garden of the Orange Trees), which, in addition to its tremendously photogenic profile, is said to be a magnetic point of energy, so there is no shortage of people who come to practice yoga, tai chi and meditation.
The views from this park, which is attached to the charming church of Santa Sabina (one of the most sought after by young women to celebrate their wedding ceremony) are spectacular, with the Gianicolo hill on a horizon outlined by an ocean of domes.
As beautiful as the panoramic view from another of the viewpoints that we approach with the Vespa: Piazza Garibaldi, which is a haven of peace to rest from the hustle and bustle of traffic.
There is, however, a mythical stop with which to recreate the most memorable scene of Roman Holidays: that of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, where the Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth) is located. Legend has it that liars will be bitten off by this huge medallion (it is believed that it could have been a manhole cover) embedded in a wall of the portico. This is how the protagonists put themselves to the test, with the famous scare of Audrey Hepburn which, this time another legend tells, was so improvised and spontaneous that it required a single take.
Then the route moves towards Trastevere, the neighborhood that sits on the bucolic left bank of the river. Here, with its labyrinthine alleyways, ivy-covered facades and quaint trattorias, we’ll make one last stop at Bar San Calisto, which, with its resistance to the onslaught of fashion, remains an institution.
Nothing better than gaining strength with a Peroni beer and then concluding the motorino ride at the same starting point: the H10 Palazzo Galla hotel. Then, it will be time to go up to the Traiano Rooftop Bar, the rooftop terrace (open to the general public) with a 360 degree panorama over the rooftops of Rome. One last look at the city that has been forever marked by the romanticism of this classic black and white film.
