by Shawn Levy
First published 2016
Shawn Levy chronicles Rome's transformation from a war-torn city into the global capital of cinema, fashion, and celebrity culture. The book examines how Cinecitta studios drew Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Gregory Peck, and Audrey Hepburn to the Eternal City. Levy documents the convergence of Italian fashion houses like Pucci and Brioni with international film productions and paparazzi culture. He traces how this cultural renaissance created the world that Federico Fellini captured in La Dolce Vita, where Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg embodied the era's glamour and excess. The author reveals how fashionistas, moguls, and celebrities gathered in Rome to participate in a scene defined by wealth, scandal, and artistic ambition. Levy offers readers a detailed portrait of this cultural moment when Italy became synonymous with style and sophistication worldwide.
Genres: history, art, 20th-century, 21st-century, film, fashion
Vibes: atmospheric, detailed, intimate
Tropes: cultural-renaissance, glamour-and-excess, transformation
Setting: Cinecitta, Eternal City, Italy, Rome
Period: 20th Century, 21st Century
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