The Film Series: Roberto
James Bond’s Man in Rome

When the Art Director of SPECTRE, the latest 007 movie due out on 6 November, needed logistical help in Rome, he contacted the best man for the job. It wasn’t Bond, James Bond; it was Melaragno, Roberto Melaragno.

Roberto’s drivers aren’t the ones you’ll see behind the wheel on the screen, the guys performing death- defying stunts at heart-stopping speeds. Rather they were the careful, methodical ones who facilitated the location scouting well before the cameras started rolling. With their reputation for promptness and their expertise in avoiding the pitfalls of Roman traffic, they saved the crew valuable time even as they pointed out the best camera angles and places for aperitivi.

Without detracting from the film’s other locations (Mexico City, Austria, Morocco, and London), Rome is the perfect backdrop for Daniel Craig’s startling blue eyes, not to mention SPECTRE’s beautiful female stars - Monica Bellucci, Naomie Harris, Stephanie Sigman and Léa Seydoux. While Craig is unraveling the sinister SPECTRE, Rome is center stage as the characters cross the Ponte Sisto, go down the Gianicolo, and speed through the Corso Vittorio, the Borgo Pio and the Lungotevere that borders the Tiber. You’ll recognize the setting of the car chase over the Via della Conciliazione in front of St Peter’s Basilica, and be awed by the helicopter footage over the river approaching the Sisto Bridge.

007 fans who want to recreate the excitement of Bond’s route to the truth behind SPECTRE can do so on a Driver In Italy private tour. Yet even without SPECTRE’s inspiration, these Roman locations are fascinating to see, particularly when you’re introduced to the history behind them. The beautiful Ponte Sisto, for example, was built in the 15th century over the foundations of the Pons Aurelius, built by Imperial Rome. It was commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV, after whom it is named.

    
Today the pedestrian- only bridge links the popular Campo de’ Fiori area with Piazza Trilussa in Trastevere across the river, where Roman hipsters meet for drinks on Friday nights.

The Gianicolo (or Janiculum), west of the Tiber and outside the ancient city, is a hill offering the best views of Rome, just above the Vatican and the Trastevere neighborhood. The Lungotevere was created by demolishing centuries of structures built on the riverbanks, both to ease traffic and to combat perennial flooding. The Corso Vittorio, named for Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of united Italy, is a major east-west route that passes many landmarks. The Borgo borders Vatican City (Saint Peter’s Square) to the west and the Tiber to the east. It used to be a congested warren of medieval lanes until Mussolini had them swept away to make Saint Peter’s clearly visible from the Castel Sant’ Angelo –itself once Emperor Hadrian’s mausoleum. A grand new avenue emerged – the Via della Conciliazione – perfect for a classic Bond car chase!

The fictional 007 can keep his license to kill; Roberto is happier with a license to drive - you and your companions on legendary guided tours in Rome and throughout Italy! Ask for the new SPECTRE tour - or any of the classic tours. Live and Let (us) Drive!