Airports & Stars

Sophia Loren and Elisabeth Taylor, Peter Sellers and Kirk Douglas, Audrey Hepburn and Jane Mansfield... Airports & Stars pays homage to the celebrities that passed through Rome and lived for a while on via Veneto during the fabulous years of "La Dolce Vita". Their first encounter with journalists usually happened at the airport where the famous Paparazzi were ready to shoot by the aircraft steps...

The time of air travel, during the "Dolce Vita" years, were fantastic times. Travelling for "pleasure" was an experience reserved for the elite. At the end os the Second World War, the most common images of travelling seen by Italians were those of travelling seen by Italians were those of the emigrant - and certainly not the cheerful chic pictures starring Hollywood divas and royalty, including our exported celebrities.

Thanks to the attraction of Cinecittà, the city of Rome - and naturally its Fiumicino airport - became a set witnessing rituals of smiles, gloved hands waving a greeting, bunches of flowers and haute couture. This brought new welcome ceremonies adapting to the new places and transport means, giving rise to a set of rules that are still with us today. The aircraft steps, and likewise the runaway or the panoramic terrace, became the improvised stage for stars such as Elisabeth Taylor, Peter Sellers, Claudia Cardinale, Audry Hepburn, Roberto Rossellini, and Tony Curtis...

Walter Veltroni