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All Italy Rome Vespa Museum

Vespa Museum

This subterranean shrine beneath a bike rental store celebrates the iconic Italian scooter.

Rome, Italy

Added By
James Clayton
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Vespa models from the 1950s and ’60s.   JamazingClayton / Atlas Obscura User
Vespa models from the 1950s and ’60s.   JamazingClayton / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
A photograph of Charlton Heston riding a Vespa in ancient Roman costume during the filming of “Ben Hur.”   JamazingClayton / Atlas Obscura User
A colourful range of Vespa scooters from the 1960s and ’70s.   JamazingClayton / Atlas Obscura User
A 1950 Vespa on a display paying tribute to the film, ‘Roman Holiday’.   JamazingClayton / Atlas Obscura User
The scooter used by Andy Leeano on his one-year journey from Indonesia to Italy.   JamazingClayton / Atlas Obscura User
A 1956 Vespa.   JamazingClayton / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
The frame of a 1946 model, the original Vespa scooter.   JamazingClayton / Atlas Obscura User
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About

"All roads lead to Rome," as the saying goes. And when you arrive there, you'll most likely find the city’s roads filled with two things: traffic jams and Vespa scooters weaving in and out of the gridlock.

A beloved icon of la dolce vita and modern Italian culture, the stylish scooters are celebrated in a small permanent exhibition located beneath a bike hire store near the Imperial Forum. Visitors who venture into the basement of the Bici & Baci shop will find a Vespa shrine with vintage models from across the decades.

On display alongside the scooters, advertising material and mannequins dressed in period clothing attest to the brand's heritage. Photographs of film stars like Charlton Heston, Audrey Hepburn, and Gregory Peck riding Vespas also showcase the vehicle's status as an emblem of cool.

The film Roman Holiday, starring Hepburn and Peck, is undoubtedly a key reason for the scooter's international fame and appeal. The Vespa company's origins may be in Florence, but the 1953 Hollywood movie immortalized the scooters and their link to the Italian capital.

The Bici & Baci rental outlet owner Claudio Sarra opened the museum space in 2013 to commemorate the film's 60th anniversary. The permanent exhibition remains open to the public and free to visit. Of course, if visitors are completely swept away in the romance of the scooters and fancy recreating Hepburn and Peck's wild rides around Roman landmarks, they can always hire a Vespa for themselves in the shop upstairs.

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Know Before You Go

The museum space is situated beneath the Bici & Baci bicycle and scooter rental outlet on Via Cavour. The store is easily found thanks to the many scooters parked out front and the clear signage. There is also usually a display board that allows tourists a photo opportunity as they pretend to be Hepburn and Peck in Roman Holiday. The nearest Metro stops are Colosseo and Cavour (on the Metro B line) and the museum is very close to the Imperial Forum. The exhibition space is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and there is no entry charge. Visitors with mobility issues should be advised that access to the space is by stairs into a basement.

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Community Contributors

Added By

JamazingClayton

Edited By

Collector of Experiences, rbenn250

  • Collector of Experiences
  • rbenn250

Published

March 28, 2019

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Sources
  • http://www.bicibaci.com/en
  • https://www.vespa.com/en_EN/Heritage.html
  • http://nusakambanganscooterclub.blogspot.com/2016/05/her-from-yogya-to-italian-touring-drive.html
  • "Escapade in Florence" is another movie where a Vespa gets some attention. It stars Tommy Kirk and Annette Funicello and follows their adventures in Florence. I remember the movie because Tommy Kirk had this "tricked out" Vespa with a windshield and fringing around the seat. The Wiki URL is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escapade_in_Florence
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escapade_in_Florence
Vespa Museum
Rome
Italy
41.893516, 12.48907
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Antoninus and Faustina Temple

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rome

Rome

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Places 144
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Nearby Places

Antoninus and Faustina Temple

Rome, Italy

miles away

Santa Francesca Romana

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miles away

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Rome, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rome

Rome

Italy

Places 144
Stories 24

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