The place Leonardo DiCaprio called “pretty much the coolest city in the world”
Since taking his first steps into the industry in the early 1990s, Leonardo DiCaprio has honed one of the most consistent and high-caliber filmographies in contemporary cinema. After making a disastrous debut with Critters 3, he spent the latter part of the decade starring in a series of drama films that would reassert his place as a serious actor, culminating in his iconic performance as Jack Dawson in Titanic.
Somewhere between What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and The Wolf of Wall Street, DiCaprio became one of the most accomplished actors of his generation. He’s played corrupt billionaires, real-life con men, and Shakespearean leads. He’s worked with the best of the best, from Quentin Tarantino to Martin Scorsese to Stephen Spielberg. The actor has also picked up awards and audiences in abundance, but his vocation of choice has afforded him an opportunity that expands beyond the attention of the masses.
From filming The Beach in Thailand to shooting Inception in Tokyo, France, Morocco and more, DiCaprio has spent the last three decades not only honing his career, but travelling alongside. Cities and countries that would take up space on most people’s bucket lists for years have been ticked off with ease, as DiCaprio’s job has taken him across the world.
The scope of DiCaprio’s work has allowed him to visit some beautiful places, but there is one that he ranks above the rest. During a conversation with The Independent about Gangs of New York, which was shot in Rome, the actor stated that he considers the Italian capital to be “pretty much the coolest city in the world.”
Considering the scale of DiCaprio’s work-related travels, Rome was up against some fierce competition for the title. He’s had some big-budget projects that have taken him across the globe. But neither Wall Street nor the Japanese capital could compete with his love for the Italian capital, for the food and history that it offers.
Under the familiar directorial prowess of Martin Scorsese, DiCaprio ventured to Rome to shoot the film in the biggest studio in Europe, Cinecittà. Though he wouldn’t get to see much of the city during shooting, DiCaprio made sure to venture into the history, heritage and food of Italy whenever he got a day off.
“I spent nine months there,” he remembered, “and every weekend I’d go to a different museum or historical site.” When he wasn’t indulging in the country’s cuisine, one of the places he visited was ancient city Pompeii, which was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. DiCaprio deemed it “unbelievable.”
Though he clearly took every opportunity to venture outside of the capital city, it was Rome that he concluded to be the “coolest.” He went on to deem the city “the man’s Paris. It’s a little more dirty, a little more rugged, a little more edgy,” he explained, “but it’s got just as much, if not more historical significance.”
The city certainly is brimming with historical significance and good food. From the mammoth structure of the Colosseum to the views of the city from Palatine Hill, the Italian capital is filled to the brim with historical landmarks that will stun tourists and Titanic stars alike.
