It was once said that walls had ears. Today, in Rome, they have the colors, stories and signatures of the world’s most talented street artists. Forget the usual walk downtown: Rome’s neighborhoods are turning into open-air museums thanks to street art. You don’t need tickets, just a pair of comfortable shoes and a lot of curiosity.
If you’re looking for an original, alternative and definitely Instagrammable experience, here are the 12 beautiful murals in Rome you absolutely must see.
Table Of Contents
- Anna Magnani on the steps of the Trionfale market
- The superwomen of LeDiesis in Trastevere.
- Tor Marancia Condominium Museum
- Ethiopia's mural: a parking lot becomes an urban gallery
- Jumping Wolf by Roa: the rebel she-wolf of Ostiense.
- Alberto Sordi at the Garbatella
- Totti and Gigi Proietti in the places of their childhood
- MURo, the urban museum that lives among the streets.
- Outside In by Judith De Leeuw dedicated to the LGBT+ movement.
- Iena Cruz's mural
- Blu's mural at Ex Snia.
- Bolivarian Revolution at Vigne Nuove
Anna Magnani on the steps of the Trionfale market
Anna Magnani on the steps of the Trionfale market embodies the strength, beauty and popular soul of Rome. In Diavù’s portraits from Campo de’ Fiori and Mamma Roma, the great actress becomes an urban icon and a powerful, accessible and everyday female symbol. A tribute that transforms the stairs into a living canvas, integrating art, memory and city identity in the heart of the New Andrea Doria Market, in the Popstairs project of cultural regeneration.
Where: Via Andrea Doria, 41, 00192 Rome.
The superwomen of LeDiesis in Trastevere.
The mysterious street artist “Lediesis” has created murals of superheroines in different parts of the city: Trastevere, Largo Arenula and Campo de’ Fiori. The women all have the symbol of Superman or rather Superwoman. Where can you find her work?
The Sora Lella with the tattoo “Annamo bene” is in vicolo di Santa Maria in Trastevere. The strong Lara Croft is on Via dei Pompieri, the very talented painter Frida Khalo on Via di Santa Maria del Pianto. Eva Kant can be found in Via Arenula. And finally Barbie you can admire in Campo de’ Fiori.
Tor Marancia Condominium Museum
Imagine living inside a work of art. In Tor Marancia, 18 international artists have transformed 11 tenement buildings into an open-air gallery. Thanks to the Big City Life project, the neighborhood has become an icon of urban regeneration. The facades tell stories, dreams and struggles. Prominent among the works is that of Clemens Behr, whose deconstructed architecture literally made a building vibrate. An extraordinary example of street art in Rome that involves people, not just walls.
Where: Viale Tor Marancia, 63, 00147 Rome.
Ethiopia’s mural: a parking lot becomes an urban gallery
Who said a parking lot can’t be beautiful? On Via Santa Maria Goretti, in the Africano neighborhood, 40 meters of murals transform urban grayness into color and energy. The project was created to upgrade the area and promote sustainable mobility, involving street art artists in Rome. A collective work, visible from afar, that promises to become the tallest in the city. Instagrammers, mark the pin!
Where: Via di Santa Maria Goretti, 8, 00199 Rome.
Jumping Wolf by Roa: the rebel she-wolf of Ostiense.
In the realm of Rome’s street art, Ostiense has an icon: the “Jumping Wolf” by Belgian artist Roa. Thirty meters long, it depicts an alternative version of the Capitoline She-Wolf: more beastly, more real, more powerful. A symbol of urban freedom, the mural dominates Via Galvani with mesmerizing black and white. A must for those who love murals that scratch the soul.
Where: Via Galvani, 00153 Rome RM.
Alberto Sordi at the Garbatella
A tribute in grand style to the symbol of Roman-ness. Lucamaleonte has painted Alberto Sordi as the Marchese del Grillo on a Garbatella facade. Ironic, elegant, unmistakable: this mural is a true declaration of love to Roman popular culture, a landmark of Rome’s street art linked to collective memory.
Where: Via Ignazio Persico, 00154 Rome.
Totti and Gigi Proietti in the places of their childhood
Roman street artist Lucamaleonte has created many other murals in Rome. In the San Giovanni area, on the facade of the Pascoli school in Via Sibari we can admire the mural dedicated to Francesco Totti. Eighteen meters high, it was made by brush by the artist. The work was authorized in 2014 by City Hall VII as part of an urban redevelopment project.
The work dedicated to Gigi Proietti, “D’après Gigi” (at Via Tonale, 6) was created on the facade of the building where the well-known Roman actor spent his childhood.
MURo, the urban museum that lives among the streets.
In the Quadraro, every corner is a work of art. The MURo – Museum of Urban Art in Rome project is a widespread collection of murals, where each wall tells stories of identity, poetry and urban resistance. From Diavù’s “ARIA” to Lucamaleonte’s “Wasps’ Nest,” each mural is a visual fragment that weaves life and art together. Walking here is like leafing through a book of living images.
Where:
- AIR. Daisies are the clouds in the meadow, Via dei Levii
- SQ947, Decio Mure Street
- Dying Galata, Decio Mure Street
- Untitled, Via degli Ortenzi
- Untitled, Via dei Quintili
- Wasp’s Nest, Via Monte del Grano
- Street Art, Via dei Pisoni
Outside In by Judith De Leeuw dedicated to the LGBT+ movement.
A powerful and poetic mural dedicated to the LGBT+ movement pops up in the city center. Judith De Leeuw’s work depicts a woman looking in a mirror and seeing a man’s reflection. With anti-pollution airlite paint and a strong social message, it is a symbol of inclusion and change. Created in collaboration with Yourban2030 and Circolo Mario Mieli, it is among the most emotionally engaging murals in Rome.
Where: Largo Beato Placido Riccardi, 13, 00146 Rome.
Iena Cruz’s mural
Iena Cruz is a young artist from Milan who cares about the environment. And her mural in the Ostiense district proves it: the largest “ecological” mural in Europe. Cruz uses 100 percent environmentally sustainable paint that purifies the air and counteracts air pollution.
Where: Via del Gazometro, 41, 00154 Rome.
Blu’s mural at Ex Snia.
In the Parco delle Energie, inside the Ex Snia, street artist Blu signs a gigantic and militant work. A symbol of resistance against building speculation,the mural speaks of rights, environment and community. Blu does not seek visibility, but impact. Each of his works is a political act. If you love art that makes you think, you can’t miss this stop in the heart of Pigneto.
Where: Via Prenestina, 175, 00176 Rome.
Bolivarian Revolution at Vigne Nuove
On Via delle Vigne Nuove, a group of Venezuelan writers has brought the revolution to the walls. The murals tell the story of Latin America, the struggle for independence, and the redemption of indigenous peoples. Among feathers, red stars and flags, a living, militant and intense work is born. The initiative of the Tiuna El Fuerte collective transforms a suburban neighborhood into a node of the world. It is street art, but also geopolitics, culture and community.
Where: Via delle Vigne Nuove, 258, 00139 Rome.