La Dolce Vita: The Golden Age of Italian Style and Celebrity

A sweet life full of pleasure and indulgence, La Dolce Vita was a phrase that entered popular usage following the success of the 1960 film 'La Dolce Vita' written and directed by Federico Fellini and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg and Anouk Aimee. As a phrase it has come to sum up the Golden Age of stylish sophistication in Italy that spanned the years 1958 to 1964. This glorious period was also marked by a rise in celebrity culture and with it the emergence of paparazzi photographers. All the big movie stars, from Kirk Douglas, Clark Gable, Tony Curtis and John Wayne to Jayne Mansfield and Brigitte Bardot were candidly snapped as they visited Rome or vacationed in Positano. Like a magnet, Italy drew the beautiful people of the period to its playground shores and there they were captivated by its sweet life of plenty.