Standing in the shadow of Rome's most famous monument, Brazilian tourist Gabriela Cirtoli admits that the Italian capital has not lived up to her expectations.
Inspired by the beguiling views of the city he saw in the series, he had arrived a day earlier with his partner and their mothers. Emily in Paris. “When Emily started in Paris, I moved to Paris,” said the 35-year-old. “Now it's in Rome, and we're here.”
Earlier this month the Chirby series, centered around an American on the move for Paris work, signaled a change of scenery, eschewing dramatic views of the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre's Sacré-Coeur Basilica for a Vespa tour past Roman sights like the Fontana di Trevi to the Colosseum.
The show's creator later confirmed plans for the fifth season of the series to take place between Paris and Rome, making surprise cameos in the Eternal City in the fourth season's tail-end.
In a few episodes, it showed a Rome with less traffic, less crowds and more accommodation for tourists, whose history stretches back thousands of years.
However, Sirtoli's first day as a tourist in Rome was very different, as he and his family made their way through throngs of tourists and waited in line for hours.
Still, she hoped the show – and its magical spectacle of Rome – would pull through. “We came to the Colosseum today and we're really starting to like the city,” he said.
In Rome's city center, many were excited about the change. “I'm definitely going to look at it,” said Antonella Catalano, a designer, standing at the entrance to her small shop near the Spanish Steps. He waved off concerns that the event would bring even more tourists to an already booming city. “It's a good thing for Rome.”
Catalano, who hails from Calabria, was eager to see how the show's vision of soccer would be applied to the Eternal City. “I've lived in Rome for 12 years, but every time I see a movie set in Rome, it seems like a completely different city.”
In Foot Although considered another extension of the show in Aeschylino's Rome, about a mile or so away from the tourist crowds, it was also accepted. Shameless Fantasy The series has been around for a long time.
“What they showed was not the real Rome,” said hairstylist Cristiana Cavallo. “They made Rome very clean, no crowds. Paris is very real.
The show has long been criticized for portraying Paris as a city with little trash or construction work and few homeless people.
Cavallo said the series' role in Rome dominated conversation in her hair salon. “There is no traffic. And the Italian couple fighting in the restaurant and swearing at each other is exaggerated. It was a little awkward.”
Still, she was glad it was Rome's turn to shine. “Emily Emily, I love it,” he said.
His comments, despite being panned by critics, pointed to the show's widespread impact. This week, after French President Emmanuel Macron, the series caused a diplomatic spat. He vowed to “fight hard” to perform in Paris.
The mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, quickly backed down. “Dear Emmanuel Macron, don't worry. Emily is doing very well in Rome,” he said, writing on social media, adding: “Besides, the heart wants what it wants: let's choose her.”
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Macron's decision to go for this lighter subject may have been driven by hard data: Since the show began streaming in 2020, it has been credited with boosting sales and lighting up the phones of estate agents in Paris. It has also attracted legions of tourists with a study finding that 38% of tourists cited the show as one of their reasons for visiting the city.
Back in Rome, Angelica Molina, 75, was looking for a break from the crowds at Fontana di Trevi and wasn't sure if the city was ready to take in more tourists. “It's going to be crazy, I don't know if Rome can handle it,” said the Argentinian tourist. “To me, it already seems like there are a lot of people here.”
The city's turn in the series comes as Rome prepares for the 2025 Jubilee, a year-long Roman Catholic event expected to attract more than 30 million tourists and pilgrims.
For Molina, however, the move to the series brought together two of her passions: Emilie in Paris and Rome. She excitedly took in the sights of Rome before descending on the city with her granddaughter for her fourth visit. “It was wonderful,” she said. “I'm already looking forward to next season.”
Others expressed concern over how the series, long blasted for its stereotypically heavy portrayal of French culture, would typify Rome and Italian culture. “Can't they stay in Paris?” asked Anastasia, 27, from London. “Leave Rome.”
The little she saw of the show revealed a missed opportunity to explore the reality of immigration and assimilation into a new culture, Anastasia said. “[Emily] “Not really appreciating or learning the culture, she's not actively learning the language, she's not immersing herself,” he said. “I know it's escapism…but I'm like, look, don't let her destroy Rome.”
Amalia Rosa, 21, a fan of the show, admitted that serving Emilie in Paris – now Rome – was a “bit cliché” as people passed her by in the Fontana di Trevi.
An example is the show's visit to the same memorial, scenes with a few dozen people and plenty of room for everyone. “It's impossible, there won't be so few people here,” said the engineering student.
“But what they show is La Bella Roma,” he added. “This is the Rome everyone wants to see.”
