Ciao my Bubbly friends! 💫 If you’ve ever watched Eat Pray Love, you probably remember the Rome chapter best, the food, the laughter, the sense of rediscovery. It’s a story that resonates with anyone who’s ever felt a little lost and longed to find beauty again, one bite of pasta at a time. As someone who’s recently wandered through Rome’s sun-dappled streets, I couldn’t resist tracing the steps of Liz Gilbert (played by Julia Roberts) and soaking up the magic this city brings to the screen. So grab your gelato, and let’s walk through the Roman moments of Eat Pray Love, together.
📽️ A Quick Glimpse at the Plot
Elizabeth Gilbert embarks on a one-year journey to Eat in Italy, Pray in India, and Love in Bali after a life-shaking divorce. In Rome, her mission is simple yet profound: to enjoy life’s pleasures again. And what better place than Rome, a city where “doing nothing” is practically a lifestyle? Rome becomes her classroom in la dolce vita (the sweet life) as she learns Italian, connects with new friends, and rediscovers joy in the simplest of things: food, language, and slowing down.
🎬 Filming Locations in Rome
Rome plays itself in Eat Pray Love, and every location is carefully chosen to reflect Liz’s emotional journey. Here’s a deeper look at where the film was shot, and why each place feels so special:
Piazza Navona: One of the most celebrated Baroque squares in the world, with fountains, cafés, and street artists. Liz walks through it more than once, and it’s no wonder. The square captures that balance of grandeur and intimacy that Rome does so well.
Castel Sant’Angelo & Ponte Sant’Angelo: One of the film’s most serene and symbolic moments happens at the top of Castel Sant’Angelo. Liz stands quietly, gazing out over the rooftops of Rome and the gently winding Tiber River below. Here, at the summit of an ancient fortress, she sees the Eternal City stretch out before her, layered, complex, beautiful. Much like her own journey.
Trevi Fountain: A moment of classic Roman ritual. In the film, Liz tosses her coin in the fountain, a tradition that promises you’ll return to Rome. This isn’t just romantic legend; it’s a heartfelt promise that so many travelers (myself included!) take seriously.
Mausoleum of Augustus: In one scene, Liz visits the Mausoleum of Augustus and reflects on how even the most powerful man in the world, Augustus, the first Roman Emperor, couldn’t hold on to everything. She stands in front of the ancient ruins and is struck by the idea that clinging too tightly leads to destruction, a realization that propels her emotional journey forward. It’s a moment of release, perspective, and transformation.
🍝 Eat Like Liz
Food is practically its own character in the Rome chapter of Eat, Pray, Love. From pizza in Naples to pasta in the heart of Rome, the film celebrates the unapologetic joy of eating. 🧀 “I’m having a relationship with my pizza,” Liz declares, and honestly, same! In Rome, the magic happens when you indulge like she did, forks twirling, no calorie counting, just pure gratitude for every bite. If you’re looking for your own food awakening, let Rome lead the way.
💫 Real Rome, Eat Pray Love Style
Here’s what I adore about how Eat Pray Love portrayed Rome: it didn’t settle for postcards. It gave us texture, the clink of glasses, the sound of Italian lessons in a sunlit apartment, the slow unlearning of guilt and speed. Rome in this movie isn’t just beautiful; it’s honest. Liz walks, eats, sometimes cries, sometimes laughs. And Rome doesn’t rush her. 💛 The Eternal City becomes a mirror. One moment, Liz is surrounded by grand fountains and fountains of gelato. The next, she’s in a quiet alley, just breathing. There’s no need to be productive here. There’s only presence.
One of the most quoted lines from the Rome segment is: “Americans know entertainment, but they don’t know pleasure.” And Rome? Rome teaches pleasure in every espresso sip, every perfectly al dente bite. That’s the magic of Rome in Eat Pray Love: it gives you permission to fall in love with simplicity. To order the pasta. To rest without guilt. To linger in a moment, without posting it. So yes, real Rome is all about la dolce vita. And if you let it, this city, like in the film, will gently nudge you toward joy.
Final Thoughts
Rome is a feast, for the eyes, the heart, and the soul. And Eat Pray Love reminds us to taste every bite. Walking through the city, I found echoes of Liz’s journey in my own. It was comforting, inspiring, and deliciously human.
So if you’ve been dreaming of Rome, or dreaming of reconnecting with yourself, let this movie nudge you. Maybe you won’t pack up your life and fly away, but you can find little moments of “dolce far niente” wherever you are. And if you’re planning a trip to Rome? Watch the movie again before you go. Or after. Or both.
xoxo,
Bubbly 🎞️💛
