Audrey Hepburn A-Z: V is for...

V is for... Via Margutta 51!

via imgur

Raise your hand if you'd like to take a stroll down Via Margutta! 

Made famous by Roman Holiday in 1953, Via Margutta is a short, quiet, rustic street tucked away near the Piazza del Popolo. I could try and describe it, but why not let Tourism Rome do it? They write "Located in the Campo Marzio district on the slopes of Mount Pincio, between piazza del Popolo and piazza di Spagna, via Margutta is a magical refuge for those who want to stroll in peace, away from the chaos of the Trident.

"Here, you are literally catapulted into another dimension: ivy and vines cover the facades of the ancient buildings, the shops of the historic center give way to art and antiques galleries, craft shops and restoration laboratories . Originally, however, via Margutta was a simple street behind the noble palaces of via del Babuino, it housed the warehouses and stables, as well as the houses of the grooms, masons, marble workers and coachmen who carried out their activities there."

via tumblr, source unknown

Though film audiences made Via Margutta famous, it has long been a street with an artistic history. Among the cultural giants who either visited or lived there you can count Emile Zola, Simone de Beauvoir, Jean Paul Sartre, Picasso, Wagner, Puccini, and Mascagni.

Via Margutta is likely named from the word 'Marisgutta' which means 'sea drop' and which referred to the stream from the villa of the Pincii. Every year since 1953, there is an arts festival called '100 Years of Via Margutta' that transforms the street into an open air art gallery that showcases the works of nearly 1,000 artists. 

Today, Via Margutta is one of the most-visited streets in Rome, and you can view Via Margutta 51 on Google Street View. The success of Roman Holiday drove up real estate prices in the area, and there are plenty of boutique shops and artist retreats at 51 Via Margutta, where Gregory Peck's character lived.

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To me, Roman Holiday is already a perfect movie, but add in all the scenery and it pushes it over the top. I'd love to walk Via Margutta someday. What movie location would you love to see? 

Come back soon for the letter W!