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, will form the backdrop to an outdoor screening of the restored version of the 1953 classic Roman Holiday on July 24.

The free event, organised by Rome Film Fest with the support of the city and Italy’s culture ministry, will see 600 seats made available to the audience, with admission on a first-come first-served basis.

William Wyler’s romantic comedy, starring Audrey Hepburn as a princess and Gregory Peck as a reporter, will be screened at 21.30 against the Aurelian Walls at the Villa Borghese end of the exclusive street.

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

Almost 70 years later, tourists visiting Rome still buy postcards and souvenirs featuring scenes from the iconic film.