Skip to main content

The road to rome was paved in Italy

This saying means that you may not be in a certain state of being, experience or end point, but you are well on your way. An alternative is "The road to rome starts in Italy" which means that you are on the brink of your journey to an experience or situation and should get started or step away if you want/don't want to end up there.

It can be used with a positive bent but is more often used as a a warning or judgment that someone is on the path to something unwanted, harmful, life altering, undoable, or disaster.

As the saying originated from a member of the Appalachian diaspora the grammatical feature of X impact Y can be applied to this saying, (for example its colder than a witches titty could also be adjusted to its hotter than a pig in a frying pan), but the geographical implication must be clear to the listener.

In this case Rome was an influential empire that impacted everywhere it touched, rose with power and fell in disgrace and was generally both a place to gain favor, fame or fortuned, but also a place to be corrupted, backstabbed or run into a malignant unhinged dictator or be sold as a slave. Regardless, once there its impossible to erase the impacts of Rome and the time to turn around is before or while in Italy.
Friend 1: "I think you should quit drinking, you seem to have trouble with how much you drink."
Friend 2: "I'm not an alcoholic, I only drink a few times a week"
Friend 1: "The road to Rome was paved in Italy"

Student: "I feel like I should not audition for the play."
Teacher: "I'm happy to work with you after school with some other students."
Student: " Yes, but I feel like I'll never be as good as the others."
Teacher: "Go for that role. You really want it. The road to Rome starts in Italy."

Friend one: "I don't think I'm experiencing domestic violence, I should just stop complaining."
Friend two: "He called you a worthless ho who'll never amount to anything and then took your bank card and told you to stop talking to all over your friends."
Friend one: "But he doesn't hit me."
Friend two: "Girl, get out. The road to Rome is paved in Italy."
by LilBriarRose May 18, 2025
mugGet the The road to rome was paved in Italymug.

Italy

not a real country, in fact it was made up for pixar’s 2021 movie titled ‘Luca’
Karen: I want to go to Italy
Suzanne: Italy doesn’t exist you fuckface. Now stream Fine Line by Harry Styles
by triplespaghetti July 12, 2021
mugGet the Italymug.

Italy

Country which, after having a war over a bucket, lost one to soldiers armed with sticks and stones.
Oh look.....Italy.
by Snoorbifflord May 14, 2019
mugGet the Italymug.

Italy

A Beutiful Place Full of Culture,Colorfull Places and Pizza and Art. Oh and if you get in a Fight you can use the Italy technique, Consists of Switching Sides
George got in a fight and used the Italy Technique
by Egoziano100 January 4, 2021
mugGet the Italymug.

italy

italy is amazing, she cares about people almost to much, she loves very hard ,and her soul is very special. Italy's are hard to find but when u find one keep her around. She always gives the benefit of the doubt even when most people don't deserve it. She gives the best advice and will always be able to talk. But she also has no one she can talk to and is often lonely at times but she keep her head up and keep her own company. We love you italy xoxo
y/n: what's you're name?
italy: italy
y/n: oh! what a beautiful name you have ... Are u from Italy?
italy: haha no , but thank you
by homixidegang July 30, 2023
mugGet the italymug.

Italy

a beautiful girl named after a beautiful country, she is funny, kind, shy, has beautiful eyes, and has the biggest gyat known to man
wow she's def an Italy
by Pookiebookiebear7 September 5, 2023
mugGet the Italymug.

Italy

I’ve been to Italy it is the land of pasta
by T34main November 8, 2019
mugGet the Italymug.

Share this definition

Sign in to vote

We'll email you a link to sign in instantly.

Or

Check your email

We sent a link to

Open your email