Italy: Rome to screen Roman Holiday on Via Veneto

Rome: Rome’s Via Veneto, synonymous with the capital’s ‘dolce vita’ era of the 1960s, formed the backdrop to an outdoor screening of the restored version of the 1953 classic Roman Holiday on Sunday.

The free event, organised by Rome Film Fest with the support of the city and Italy’s culture ministry, will see almost 700 seats made available to the audience, with admission on a first-come first-served basis.

The event will begin at 21.15 with a concert of film scores, including music from movies such as Il Postino and La vita è bella, with the Vespa Piaggio from Roman Holiday on the stage beside the orchestra.

Following a word of welcome from Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri, the movie will be screened against the Aurelian Walls at the Villa Borghese end of the exclusive street.

William Wyler’s romantic comedy, starring Audrey Hepburn as a princess and Gregory Peck as a reporter, was filmed in Rome 70 years ago, during the summer of 1952.

The movie was filmed at Cinecittà studios and on location around Rome in 1952, notably at the Spanish Steps and the Mouth of Truth, and saw Hepburn win an Oscar for Best Actress in 1954.

Seven decades later, tourists visiting Rome still buy postcards and souvenirs featuring scenes from the iconic film.