10 Famous Movies Filmed in Italy 🎥🇮🇹

Italy has never been just a backdrop. It’s a co-star, stealing scenes with its piazzas, canals, and coastlines. From Fellini’s timeless Rome to James Bond’s glamorous Venice, these movies don’t just tell stories — they make us fall in love with Italy all over again. Let’s countdown 10 of the most famous films shot in Italy.

10. The Italian Job (1969 & 2003) – Turin & Venice

The original Italian Job gave us one of the most legendary car chases in cinema history. Tiny Mini Coopers raced through the narrow streets of Turin, darting down staircases and weaving through traffic in pure 1960s style. The 2003 remake brought the action back to Italy, this time with Venice’s canals setting the stage. Both films turned Italy into an adrenaline playground, where centuries-old streets became the ultimate obstacle course.

9. Eat Pray Love (2010) – Rome & Naples

Julia Roberts eating her way across Italy became the ultimate travel fantasy. Rome’s trattorias, gelaterias, and bustling piazzas were filmed with such warmth that audiences could almost taste the pasta through the screen. The pizza scene in Naples — where Roberts declares she’s having a love affair with her meal — turned the city’s thin-crust pies into global celebrities. This film made Italy’s food not just background scenery, but the star of the show.

8. La Dolce Vita (1960) – Rome

Federico Fellini’s masterpiece immortalized Rome in the 1960s — stylish, chaotic, glamorous, and scandalous. The Trevi Fountain scene, with Anita Ekberg wading in its waters at midnight, is one of cinema’s most iconic images. But the whole film is a love letter to Rome’s nightlife, gossip, and irresistible charm. Watching it feels like slipping into a dream of Italy when everything sparkled with possibility.

7. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) – Ischia, Venice & Rome

No film captured Italy’s 1950s glamour quite like The Talented Mr. Ripley. From sun-drenched beaches on the island of Ischia to the elegance of Venice’s canals, the scenery feels intoxicating. Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow lounging in striped swimsuits, Matt Damon slipping into smoky jazz clubs, and cobblestone streets alive with vintage Vespas — the film makes Italy both dazzling and dangerous. The setting becomes a character itself, embodying both beauty and temptation.

6. Gladiator (2000) – Rome

Though most of the Colosseum scenes were created with CGI, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator reignited fascination with ancient Rome. Russell Crowe’s “Are you not entertained?” speech made the amphitheater more famous than ever. After the film’s success, tourism to the Colosseum skyrocketed, with visitors eager to stand where gladiators once fought. Even digitally enhanced, Rome’s ruins glowed with a renewed sense of epic history.

5. Call Me By Your Name (2017) – Lombardy Countryside

Set in the hazy summer of 1983, this film captures northern Italy in all its languid beauty. Sunlight flickers through orchards, bicycles rattle over cobblestones, and villas glow in shades of gold and pink. The story unfolds slowly, with the Lombardy countryside wrapping around the characters like a warm embrace. Italy here isn’t just a backdrop — it’s part of the emotion, reflecting both the joy and heartbreak of first love.

4. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) – Cortona, Tuscany

If you’ve ever dreamed of escaping to Tuscany, this movie probably planted the seed. Diane Lane buys a crumbling villa in Cortona and rebuilds her life among vineyards, markets, and golden sunsets. The film turned this quiet Tuscan town into a global destination, where visitors still hunt for the villa used in the movie. Tuscany’s rolling hills practically glow on screen, reminding us why the region has always been a symbol of beauty and reinvention.

3. Casino Royale (2006) – Venice & Lake Como

James Bond made Italy look impossibly glamorous. From the luxurious Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como (where Daniel Craig made his unforgettable beach entrance) to Venice’s palazzos collapsing dramatically into the canals, the film gave audiences a mix of elegance and danger. Italy became the ultimate playground for spies and style, combining romance, action, and jaw-dropping scenery.

2. Roman Holiday (1953) – Rome

Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck riding a Vespa through Rome is cinema magic. This black-and-white classic introduced post-war Rome to the world as a city of romance and adventure. The Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, and the Mouth of Truth became must-visit sites after the film’s release. Hepburn’s charm and the Eternal City’s beauty blended so perfectly that Roman Holiday remains one of the most influential travel films of all time.

1. The Godfather (1972) – Sicily

Sicily’s rustic villages and golden landscapes became forever tied to The Godfather. Michael Corleone’s exile scenes were filmed in Savoca and Forza d’Agrò, where cobbled alleys and olive groves set the stage for one of cinema’s most legendary sagas. Tourists still visit Bar Vitelli, the small cafe where Michael courted Apollonia. The film didn’t just use Sicily as a backdrop — it made the island legendary, intertwining its beauty with one of the most powerful stories in film history.

👉 Which of these movies made you want to book a ticket to Italy? Share this list on Facebook and see which film your friends love most!