Andiamo! | Citalia Magazine Autumn 2021

DISCOVER LA DOLCE VITA
On Location
Since the 1960s, while the cabaret scene has died down, the
foundations of Rome haven’t changed all that much and you will still
find jaw-dropping, monumental buildings, and neighbourhoods that
hang onto the seduction of La Dolce Vita.
Cinecittà Studios
The majority of La Dolce Vita was filmed on expensive sets in Rome’s
Cinecittà Studios, the hub of Italian filmmaking and Europe’s largest
film studio. But there were also a few areas of Rome that prominently
featured in the film.
The studio has an exciting museum where you can go on a guided tour
and explore the backstage perspective of film and witness vast film sets,
including one that represents Ancient Rome.
Parco Degli Acquedotti, Via Lemonia
In the opening scene when the helicopter carries the statue of Jesus,
it flies over the Parco Degli Acquedotti, which are ruins of a Roman
aqueduct. Why not enjoy a picnic here and witness the various Roman
towers, villas, tombs and even parts of an ancient road?
​Via Vittorio Veneto & Harry’s Bar
Much of the film is based around ​Via Vittorio Veneto, colloquially known
as Via Veneto, a lavish and fashionable street in Rome where Hollywood
actors, gigolos and mobsters alike congregated in real life, only to be
hounded by flâneurs like Marcello and the paparazzi.
Today, while you may not see international superstars
all too often, this wide avenue still offers much buzz
with its immaculately turned out crowd.
Pay homage to La Dolce Vita and visit the celebrated and often copycatted
Harry’s Bar, which was the destination in the 1950s and 1960s.
Frank Sinatra once played the piano at Harry’s Bar, while Orson Welles,
Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardener were
all regulars. Always ready to capture the bar’s inebriated celebrities, the
real king of paparazzi, Rino Barillari, was usually found lurking here.
While Harry’s Bar has lost its original sparkle, you can still sip on a Bellini
cocktail or enjoy fine dining in this luxury antique-laden venue.
Trevi Fountain
The most famous scene of this three hour long film is when Marcello
follows the jaunty famous Hollywood actress Sylvia into the waters
of the Trevi Fountain, a large Baroque fountain in central Rome.
Sylvia was portrayed by the renowned Swedish actress Anita Ekberg
and critics believe this role mirrored her own life at the time, drunk
husband included.
When the fountain scene was filmed, it was a cold spring night and actor
Marcello Mastroianni allegedly wore a wetsuit under his clothing, and
downed a bottle of vodka in order to continue filming.
If the cold doesn’t deter you from being tempted to reenact the scene
and dip into the fountain water, then perhaps the armed guards stationed
on site will!
Summer/Autumn 2021
Andiamo!