Federico Bellini’s tribute to the swinging Rome of the 1960s, La Dolce Vita, remains enduring – a portrayal not only of the Italian spirit, marked by charm, passion, and luminosity, but also a contemporary allegory of the Mediterranean ‘good life’.
Yet, the dolce vita philosophy isn’t confined to the past; it thrives in the Italian and global landscapes today. Not just the upper echelons of society portrayed in the film, but also the ‘infinite passion of life,’ as described by Fellini himself.
Assouline publishes ‘Dolce Vita’ by Cesare Cunaccia
In celebration of the six decades since Anita Ekberg’s iconic moment in the Trevi fountain, French luxury publisher Assouline presents Dolce Vita, a 320-page volume encompassing the beauty, style, and taste of the unrivalled Italian way of life.
Compiled by Italian writer, lecturer, curator, and journalist Cesare Cunaccia, Dolce Vita continues his Italian artistic legacy, building on his success with titles like Capri Dolce Vita (2019), Tuscany Marvel (2021), and Villeggiatura: Italian Summer Vacation (2022). With a lyrical introduction by Cunaccia himself and an exclusive curation of images, the title takes readers on a journey through Italy, offering a chance to explore the origins of the dolce vita motto.
Preparing the intimate dining terrace above the sea at Taormina's Grand Hotel San Pietro
‘The dolce vita is a concept that immediately takes us back to the Italy of the 1960s but that has traced an indelible outline and established an aesthetic and emotional filter which, to this day, remains impossible to surpass. Italy was an accumulation of beauty, art, music and nature,’ explains Cunaccia.
The pages of the book are populated with unforgettable characters such as Maria Callas, Sophia Loren, and Marcello Mastroianni, among others. Photographers like Ferdinando Scianna and Bruno Barbey perfectly captured the essence of the dolce vita in their images, documenting this quintessentially Italian spirit from Emilia-Romagna to Rome and Naples to Sicily.
Bowl of Italian pomegranates in Spoleto, Umbria
‘Love, timeless beauty, the overlapping of past and present, centuries of incomparable art, Hellenistic and Roman ruins, the song of the sea, an ancient civilization and a spirit that’s quick-witted, poetic, sarcastic, controversial and fiercely individual, looking backwards to look to the future. Dolce vita means Italy,’ adds Cunaccia.
‘Dolce Vita’ by Cesare Cunaccia is available from Assouline.
Marcello Mastroianni, synonymous with the advent of dolce vita style, in Milan, 1960
-
Dior holds an enchanting Kyoto show in the midst of cherry-blossom seasonMaria Grazia Chiuri chose the grounds of Kyoto’s serene Tō-ji Temple to present a Fall 2025 collection that celebrated Dior’s longstanding links with Japan
-
Giant rings! Timber futurism! It’s the Osaka Expo 2025The Osaka Expo 2025 opens its microcosm of experimental architecture, futuristic innovations and optimistic spirit; welcome to our pick of the global event’s design trends and highlights
-
The new Polaroid Flip unfolds to bring you pin-sharp instant photographyPolaroid announces the Flip, an instant camera that blends its evergreen film technology with better results and more control
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in springDreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
-
Everything you need to know about Italy's Lake Maggiore, according to FormafantasmaFrom baroque gardens to panoramic views, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin show us around this Italian escape
-
This arresting new photography book is a visual mediation on daily life in IndonesiaWith his lens, photographer Farid Renais Ghimas explores home, memory and the spaces in between
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Romeo Roma: a new hotel that’s one of Zaha Hadid’s last projectsLocated within Rome’s Tridente, Romeo Roma is a palimpsest of periods in which the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid left her avant-garde mark
-
Five influential women hoteliers reflect on the changing face of hospitalityAs women continue to gain ground in the hotel sector, despite still being underrepresented in senior positions, five female moguls share their experiences of the past and projections for the future
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy designThere’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
The best Milan bars for a fashionable aperitivoMilan’s after-dark renaissance is evident in a new wave of design-led cocktail bars, setting the right mood for enticing aperitivos and nightcaps; Milan editor Laura May Todd recommends the best
-
How Four Seasons Hotels became The White Lotus’ unofficial starAs The White Lotus season three whisks us to Thailand, Marc Speichert, chief commercial officer of Four Seasons Hotels, discusses the luxury group’s perfect synergy with the hit HBO series – and where you can live the experience
