Via Veneto

Overview

Via Veneto is Rome's most sweeping, historically glamorous, and heavily cinematic boulevard. Winding elegantly from Villa Borghese down to Piazza Barberini, it is globally immortalized as the absolute epicenter of Federico Fellini's iconic 1960 film La Dolce Vita.

Highlights

• The Cafes: The wide, deeply shaded sidewalks are still lined with massive, highly historic cafes (like Café de Paris and Harry's Bar) where paparazzi famously hunted Hollywood stars in the 1960s.
• The Hotels: It houses the absolute most luxurious, heavily gilded grand hotels in Rome, including the massive Hotel Excelsior and the Westin.
• The Capuchin Crypt: Located right at the bottom of the street beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione, this is a shockingly macabre, awe-inspiring crypt decorated entirely with the bones of 4,000 Capuchin friars.

History

Constructed in the late 19th century directly over the massive, demolished gardens of the Villa Ludovisi, the street was specifically engineered to be Rome's answer to the Parisian Champs-Élysées. It peaked in global cultural dominance during the 1950s and 60s ("Hollywood on the Tiber"), when massive American film productions moved to the nearby Cinecittà studios, filling the street's cafes with international celebrities.

Visitor Tips

• The Vibe: Today, the massive street is slightly faded and heavily dominated by incredibly expensive, slightly empty hotels. The true charm is its quiet, sweeping elegance and massive plane trees, rather than its nightlife.
• The Crypt: The bone crypt is an absolute must-see, but strictly forbids any photography.