Residents in the historic area of Porta Pia, Rome, have been advised to brace themselves for the imminent invasion of Hollywood film crews shooting a dramatic sequence of the 24th movie in the James Bond saga. The cast of Spectre, the latest 007 adventure, will be hard at work between the 19th February-12th March 2015, in various location in Rome. However, a nail-biting car chase is to be staged from Porta Pia down the main thoroughfare of Via Nomentana during the second weekend of March and the road must be cleared of all vehicles for up to 72 hours beforehand.
Nineteen streets that cross Via Nomentana will be closed to traffic and police have been engaged to ensure that no pedestrian cyclist or car tries to get in. As this is a residential area, those needing to reach their homes will be accompanied by police officers.
Other areas involved include the ancient Ponte Sisto (where actor Daniel Craig will land with a parachute) and Via Panisperna, leading up to St. Mary Major, the setting for yet another car chase. Earlier plans to use some of old Rome's more monumental streets as back-drop for other action scenes in the script were dropped after protests from Romans and cultural authorities alike, fearing that fragile sculptures and carvings would be damaged.