Beyond Conclave: 10 other movies that feature the Vatican

RTÉ News​

08-05-2025

If you've seen Conclave, Edward Berger's excellent political thriller, you'll have some idea of what goes on behind the scenes at the secretive papal conclave.
So with all eyes on Rome this week as cardinals meet to elect a successor to Pope Francis from behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel, here's a look at five other films set in or around the Vatican...
THE GODFATHER PART III (1990)
While the first installment of Francis Ford Coppola's magnum opus was set in New York City, and the second largely in Sicily, much of Part III was based in Rome - particularly around the Vatican City, as Michael Corleone becomes involved in nefarious business dealings involving the Vatican Bank.
THE DA VINCI CODE (2006) & ANGELS AND DEMONS (2009)
Both of Dan Brown's novels were adapted for the big screen in 2006 and 2009, and while both had scenes set within the Vatican - Angels & Demons opens with the death of a pope and preparations for a conclave - the church unsurprisingly denied Ron Howard permission to film there. Instead, other venues around Rome doubled for interior scenes, while Winchester Cathedral was a stand-in for the Vatican in The Da Vinci Code.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III (2006)
The world's most famous Scientologist breaking into the seat of the Catholic Church? It happened in M:I3, when Tom Cruise donned a cassock to go undercover in the Vatican - which was really Reggia di Caserta near Naples. However, some exterior shots were filmed in St. Peter's Square.
ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953)
Of course one of the most timeless Rome-set films ever made had to feature the Vatican in some way. St. Peter's Basilica features in the film's opening sequence, while the nearby Castel Sant'Angelo also features during a scene where Audrey Hepburn dances with Gregory Peck before a brawl breaks out.
EUROTRIP (2004)
Bet you weren't expecting this one. If the Church doesn't allow some of the world's most esteemed filmmakers to shoot within the Vatican City, you can bet they didn't let the makers of this 2004 goofy 'teen sex comedy'. Nevertheless, a sequence is set within the Vatican when main characters Scott and Cooper break into the Pope's private quarters in the midst of a conclave.
THE TWO POPES (2019)
Well, the clue is in the title: of course the Vatican is going to feature in some way. In Fernando Meirelles's 2019 drama, we witness a fictionalised discussion between Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) and the then-Cardinal Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) in the wake of the Vatican leaks scandal. Much of the film is set within the walls of the Vatican, although the actual filming locations were spread across Rome and a full-scale replica of the Sistine Chapel was constructed at Rome's Cinecittà Studios.
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE'S MOST WANTED (2012)
It's not just live action movies that feature the Eternal City; in Madagascar 3, a group of intrepid animals find themselves pursued across Europe as they attempt to get back to New York City. One scene features King Julien, the ring-tailed lemur, kissing the Pope's ring in the Vatican.
LA DOLCE VITA (1960)
Fellini's best film? La Dolce Vita is certainly one of the iconic Italian director's most celebrated works. Set in Rome, one sequence heavily features the Vatican as jaded journalist Marcello pursues a woman up the 551 steps of St. Peter's Dome, which overlooks the magnificent square. As with The Two Popes, a replica of the dome was built at Cinecittà Studios.
SPECTRE (2015)
It only took fifty years for film's most famous spy to land in Rome. much of Spectre was shot in the Italian capital, while a thrilling car chase through its streets passes up the cobbled Via della Conciliazione, with St. Peter's Basilica looming majestically in the background.