Prince Roviano (Eduardo De Filippo) lives in an old palace on via della Pace in the centre of Rome, just beside piazza Navona. The convex façade of the Church of Santa Maria della Pace on the same street can be seen often. Nearby, via Lancellotti provides the location for “City Song”, the nocturnal hangout where Federico di Roviano (Marcello Mastroianni) signs the bill of sale for the palace while the Pio Sodalizio dei Piceni in piazza San Salvatore in Lauro is the convent the ghosts go to visit.
One of the building’s inhabitants, Flora di Roviano (Sandra Milo) – who, broken hearted, drowned herself in the River Tiber – continues to jump into the river from Ponte Cestio, the bridge that links Lungotevere degli Anguillara on the right bank with Isola Tiberina.
To prohibit the building’s demolition and their consequent homelessness, the ghosts turn to the spirit of the eccentric painter Caparra (Vittorio Gassman) for help, asking him to paint a fresco on the ceiling of the palace bedroom. Caparra is found in his residence, also threatened with demolition, near the Basilica of San Giovanni Bosco, actually Torre del Quadraro in piazza dei Consoli which, despite the ghost’s assertion, is still standing.
Prince Roviano (Eduardo De Filippo) lives in an old palace on via della Pace in the centre of Rome, just beside piazza Navona. The convex façade of the Church of Santa Maria della Pace on the same street can be seen often. Nearby, via Lancellotti provides the location for “City Song”, the nocturnal hangout where Federico di Roviano (Marcello Mastroianni) signs the bill of sale for the palace while the Pio Sodalizio dei Piceni in piazza San Salvatore in Lauro is the convent the ghosts go to visit.
One of the building’s inhabitants, Flora di Roviano (Sandra Milo) – who, broken hearted, drowned herself in the River Tiber – continues to jump into the river from Ponte Cestio, the bridge that links Lungotevere degli Anguillara on the right bank with Isola Tiberina.
To prohibit the building’s demolition and their consequent homelessness, the ghosts turn to the spirit of the eccentric painter Caparra (Vittorio Gassman) for help, asking him to paint a fresco on the ceiling of the palace bedroom. Caparra is found in his residence, also threatened with demolition, near the Basilica of San Giovanni Bosco, actually Torre del Quadraro in piazza dei Consoli which, despite the ghost’s assertion, is still standing.
Lux Film, Vides Cinematografica, Galatea Film
The quiet life of Prince Roviano, who lives with the ghosts of four ancestors in an ancient Roman palace, is threatened when his nephew decides to demolish the building after the prince’s death, threatening to leave the inhabitants homeless.