Ciao, fellow travelers & cinephiles! ✨ Rome doesn’t just belong to emperors and artists, it belongs to action legends too. In John Wick: Chapter 2, Keanu Reeves’ sharp-suited assassin brings the Eternal City into the cinematic spotlight with unforgettable style. With its dramatic architecture and ancient landmarks, Rome becomes a gritty, elegant playground of intrigue and revenge. The film’s most breathtaking scenes were filmed on location, making it a dream for both movie buffs and lovers of la dolce vita. Get ready to walk in Baba Yega’s footsteps with this detailed guide to every Roman location where the film was shot, complete with expanded details to help you explore them like a true cinephile.
1. Museo Centrale del Risorgimento (The Continental Hotel)
Nestled beside the Roman Forum, the Museo Centrale del Risorgimento served as the elegant exterior of the Roman branch of the Continental Hotel in John Wick: Chapter 2. With its neoclassical façade and commanding presence, it was the perfect choice to suggest a sophisticated, secretive world hiding in plain sight. While the interior scenes, including Wick’s check-in and key underworld encounters, were filmed inside the Grand Hotel Plaza on Via del Corso, this museum’s exterior provided one of the film’s most memorable establishing shots. It’s a great example of how Rome’s historic buildings add cinematic gravitas to any story, even one built on bullets and brooding.
2. Grand Hotel Plaza (Interior Scenes of the Continental Hotel)
The luxurious Grand Hotel Plaza, just off Via del Corso, was used for several interior shots, including Wick’s meeting with the Italian manager Julius (Franco Nero). The richly appointed lobby and vintage glamour give off an old-world charm, one you can still experience with a cocktail in hand.
3. Piazza Navona & Antica Libreria Cascianelli
Wick walks through Piazza Navona, taking in the grandeur of Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers, before heading into Antica Libreria Cascianelli, a real antiquarian bookstore at Largo Febo 15. This elegant little spot serves as a secret armory in the film – yes, that’s where Wick shops for tools of his trade.
4. Forum of Caesar and Clivo Argentario (Underground Catacombs)
The entrance to Wick’s descent into the Roman underworld was filmed among the ruins near the Forum of Caesar, specifically along Clivo Argentario. However, the actual underground catacomb scenes – with their mysterious tunnels and ancient passageways – were filmed in the underground tunnels of the Baths of Caracalla. While the tunnels shown in the film are enhanced for dramatic effect, the combination of these authentic ancient Roman locations brings a haunting realism to Wick’s underground mission.
5. Baths of Caracalla
The stunning, hauntingly empty Baths of Caracalla serve as the setting for Gianna D’Antonio’s coronation party and the dramatic confrontation that follows. This 3rd-century Roman bath complex is vast, open, and absolutely majestic – its ruins echo with power, making it a perfect stage for cinematic betrayal.
6. Piazza Venezia & Victor Emmanuel II Monument
The sweeping cityscape in the final Roman scenes was filmed on the rooftop of Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali, looking out over Piazza Venezia and the Altare della Patria (Victor Emmanuel II Monument). This massive white marble monument, also known as “Il Vittoriano,” serves as both a tribute to Italy’s first king and the nation’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This view serves as a stunning symbolic finale for Wick’s Roman chapter, majestic, solitary, and commanding.
7. Gardens of Sallust (Horti Sallustiani)
Filmed in a surviving domed pavilion of these 1st century BCE landscaped pleasure gardens, this was the backdrop to Wick and Gianna’s intense face-off. The scene’s moody lighting and open-air ruins bring an emotional gravity that matches the moment, true cinematic poetry among whispering stones.
Why It’s Worth Visiting
John Wick: Chapter 2 doesn’t just use Rome as a backdrop, it integrates the city’s grandeur and grit into the story itself. These sites become characters: ancient, beautiful, layered with secrets. As a traveler, it’s thrilling to see how each location reflects the mood and rhythm of the film. You won’t find signs saying “Wick stood here,” but if you’ve seen the movie, you’ll feel it, in the way the light bounces off cobblestones, or how shadows stretch long in the Forum ruins. There’s a reason Rome was chosen: it’s cinematic to the core.
Practical Tips for Your John Wick Rome Tour
- Best Time to Visit: Early morning or golden hour for quieter streets and perfect lighting.
- Footwear: Wear comfy shoes, those cobblestones are no joke.
- Nearby Cafés: Stop at Caffè Greco along the way for stylish fuel.
- Map It: Bookmark each of the 7 filming locations to create your own Wick-inspired walking tour.
About the Film
John Wick: Chapter 2 is the second installment in the neo-noir action series starring Keanu Reeves as John Wick, a former assassin forced back into the underworld. Directed by Chad Stahelski, the sequel expands Wick’s universe globally, and Rome is where much of the action unfolds. What begins as a somber duty at a Roman Continental Hotel turns into a fast-paced series of betrayals, showdowns, and battles, staged against the city’s hauntingly beautiful architecture.
Final Thoughts
For film lovers and wanderers alike, tracing Wick’s steps is more than fan fun, it’s a way of seeing Rome anew. These aren’t just action scenes, they’re artfully choreographed odes to a city that thrives on drama, beauty, and myth.
So go ahead, plan your own Wick Walk. Pack a black suit (or just your best shades), stroll past the shadows of empires, and remember: in Rome, even an action thriller becomes timeless.
xoxo,
Bubbly🎥🎬
