The Great Beauty Filming Locations in Rome: Where to Find Every Key Scene (2026)

The Great Beauty filming locations read like a private tour of Rome. Think fountains at dawn, palaces at night and a terrace facing the Colosseum. Paolo Sorrentino’s 2013 film, La grande bellezza, won the Oscar for best foreign language film, as the Academy’s official records confirm (checked September 2026). Since then, it has sent many travelers looking for its settings. This guide maps the main places, explains which ones you can enter and groups them into easy walks.

Last updated: September 25, 2026

The Great Beauty filming locations at a glance

Where the list comes from

Official tourism boards have mapped the film’s Roman sets. The Lazio region’s VisitLazio site lists 18 locations, from the opening fountain to the Capitoline Museums (checked September 2026). We follow that list of the Great Beauty filming locations and add practical notes on access. In addition, opening hours for museums and churches change often, so check each site before you go.

The Janiculum and Trastevere: where the film begins

The film opens at the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola on the Janiculum Hill. Locals call it il Fontanone, “the big fountain”. A choir sings on the terrace while a tourist faints in the heat. Today, the terrace is free and gives a wide view over Rome. As a result, it is worth the climb from Trastevere.

Then, a few minutes downhill, the Tempietto del Bramante stands in the courtyard of San Pietro in Montorio. In fact, it is a small round temple from the early 1500s and a landmark of Renaissance architecture. In the film, Jep meets his mother in one of the cloisters of the convent.

The Aventine and the Baths of Caracalla

On the Aventine Hill, the keyhole in the gate of the Knights of Malta frames the dome of St. Peter’s at the end of a garden path. The scene lasts only a few seconds; however, the spot is among the most famous of the Great Beauty filming locations. Expect a line of people waiting their turn, especially at weekends.

Then walk down to the Baths of Caracalla, where a magician makes a giraffe disappear among the ruins at night. The baths are an archaeological site with a ticket. By contrast, the Aventine keyhole is free and open at all hours.

Palaces in the historic center

Palazzo Spada

Borromini’s forced perspective gallery makes a short colonnade look four times longer than it is. It sits in the courtyard of Palazzo Spada, home of the Galleria Spada museum.

Palazzo Barberini

Jep walks through a gallery of Roman palaces by night, and one stop shows Raphael’s La Fornarina. Today, the painting hangs in the national gallery at Palazzo Barberini, a museum open to the public.

Piazza Navona and Palazzo Altemps

Night shots of Piazza Navona show the church of Sant’Agnese in Agone and Palazzo Pamphilj. Nearby, Palazzo Altemps and Palazzo Braschi also appear in the film. Both are museums today.

Villa Medici and Via Giulia

Jep and Ramona walk at night through the gardens of Villa Medici, the French Academy in Rome. Check its website for visiting options. Meanwhile, Palazzo Sacchetti on Via Giulia plays Viola’s home. It is private; still, the street itself is one of the most elegant in Rome.

The Colosseum and the Capitoline

Jep’s apartment has a terrace facing the Colosseum, on Piazza del Colosseo. However, the flat is private, so you can only look up from the square. For the monument itself, read our guide to Colosseum tickets. Finally, the reclining statue of Marforio in the Capitoline Museums appears on the film poster and in the closing scenes.

Beyond the center: the Parco degli Acquedotti

In one of the film’s strangest scenes, a performance artist runs head-first into an ancient aqueduct. Sorrentino shot it in the Parco degli Acquedotti, a free public park in south-east Rome. There, Roman aqueducts cross open fields. The park lies on metro line A. Also, it pairs well with the Appian Way.

How to plan a Great Beauty walk

• Morning: the Janiculum fountain, the Tempietto and Trastevere.
• Late morning: the Aventine keyhole, then the Baths of Caracalla.
• Afternoon: Palazzo Spada, Via Giulia and Piazza Navona.
• Evening: the Colosseum and a walk through the lit-up center, as Jep does.

For guided options, consider a Rome night tour or a Vespa tour of Rome. Near the aqueducts, an Appian Way and catacombs tour also fits. Finally, see our pick of the best Italian movies, the Rome Film Festival and the Call Me by Your Name filming locations.

For more film trails in Italy, see where The Talented Mr. Ripley was filmed, from Ischia to Venice, and where Under the Tuscan Sun was filmed, in and around Cortona.

For more Oscar and Cannes winners, and where they were filmed, see our list of the best Italian movies.

Seen La Dolce Villa? Its village is fictional, but the town scenes were filmed in San Quirico d’Orcia. Find out whether Montezara is a real town.

The Great Beauty filming locations: frequently asked questions

Where was The Great Beauty filmed?

Almost entirely in Rome. The main Great Beauty filming locations include the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola, the Aventine keyhole, the Baths of Caracalla and Palazzo Spada.

Where is Jep Gambardella’s apartment?

The apartment with the Colosseum terrace is on Piazza del Colosseo. It is private, so you can only see it from the street.

Where is the opening scene of The Great Beauty?

At the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola on the Janiculum Hill, a free viewpoint above Trastevere.

Where is the giraffe scene?

At the Baths of Caracalla, an archaeological site that you can visit with a ticket.

Did The Great Beauty win an Oscar?

Yes. It won the Academy Award for best foreign language film in 2014.