Inside Dominic West and Lily James’ romantic getaway in Rome
Dominic West and Lily James’ “Roman Holiday” was even wilder than pictures show.
James and the married West were all over each other as they were caught on film this week canoodling during a day of sun and fun in the Italian capital, The Post has learned.
“[He] couldn’t resist kissing her neck and stroking her,” a witness said.
“They then visited the nearby church, the Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio, and Dominic placed his hand on Lily’s butt.”
West and James’ decision to sample “La Dolce Vita” turned heads Monday when photos of them romping in Rome were splashed on the internet.
This led to a strange public display of affection between West and his wife, Catherine FitzGerald, in which they awkwardly kissed before cameras and handed a handwritten letter to the paparazzi assuring all that their marriage is strong.
West and James — who will play father and daughter in the new BBC/Amazon show “The Pursuit of Love” — holed up for two nights in a suite in Rome’s posh Hotel De La Ville, which boasts a panoramic view over the city, sources confirmed.
West, 50, and James, 31, left their love nest for just a few hours to ride an electric scooter around the Spanish Steps and Piazza di Pietra, before joining their joint manager, Angharad Wood, her daughter and a friend for lunch at the da Sabatino eatery.
“They really knocked back a lot of wine and Lily looked a bit worse for wear,” the witness said.
Sources said they were then spotted brazenly making out at the Leonardo da Vinci airport before flying home to the UK together.
When the photos of their jaunt were published on Monday, FitzGerald was at home in the British countryside with their four young children during her hubby’s apparent Italian fling.
After the photos of West and James were published, she was “devastated,” sources said.
By Tuesday morning, however, the couple posed in public for a bizarre photo call — with West looking rumpled and wearing the same clothes he sported in Italy.
With smiles planted on their faces — and FitzGerald clutching a tissue — the couple handed photographers a piece of paper in West’s handwriting.
“Our marriage is strong and we’re very much still together,” it said, with both their signatures underneath.
West is best known for playing Noah Solloway in the Showtime drama “The Affair,” which explores his affair with Alison Bailey, played by Ruth Wilson.
The star, who has been married to Irish landscape designer and aristocrat FitzGerald since 2010, has made it no secret of his thoughts on extramarital relationships.
In 2016, he claimed it’s “daft to kick someone out over a fling” and suggested “women should be more indulgent of affairs.”
“Everyone should turn a blind eye to men’s behavior between the ages of 40 and 50. Let it all blow over,” he added.
He also branded monogamy “not the necessarily natural way to be.”
West has often spoken about how much he hurt his ex-girlfriend Polly Astor, mother of his oldest daughter, Martha, 22, with his carousing while filming “The Wire.”
“That got a lot of things out of my system — hopefully,” he said.
“And now I just act it. There are a lot of sex scenes in ‘The Affair.’ If Catherine was in something like that, I would not be happy. But she’s OK with it. She’s cool.”
In another interview, West added that his wife didn’t mind him playing cheating bastards.
“She doesn’t care,” he said. “As long as I’m back with the kids, I can play up my advantages as much as I like. I’ve known her for 20 years now, and she dumped me on several occasions. I can’t surprise her in any way now.”
James, who first found fame in “Downton Abbey,” only recently broke off her five-year relationship with “The Crown” actor Matt Smith, who yesterday refused to comment.
And in June, she was pictured enjoying a night out and a cozy park date in London with hunky “Captain America” star Chris Evans.
Reps for West and James declined to comment.