Cinecittà Studios in Rome

27 March 2017 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Set of Martin Scorsese's 'Gangs of New York' © Supercazzola

Set of Martin Scorsese’s ‘Gangs of New York’ © Supercazzola

Cinecittà (Cinema City) is a large film studio in Rome that is considered the hub of Italian cinema. The studios were constructed during the Fascist era as part of a scheme to revive the Italian film industry. In the 1950s, the number of international productions being made there led to Rome’s being dubbed Hollywood on the Tiber. The studios were founded in 1937 by Benito Mussolini, his son Vittorio, and his head of cinema Luigi Freddi under the slogan “Il cinema è l’arma più forte” (“Cinema is the most powerful weapon“). The purpose was not only for propaganda, but also to boost the Italian feature film industry, which was in crisis at the time. Mussolini himself inaugurated the studios on April 21, 1937. Post-production units and sets were constructed and heavily used initially. Early films such as 1937’s Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal and 1941’s The Iron Crown showcased the technological advancement of the studios. Seven thousand people were involved in the filming of the battle scene from Scipio Africanus, and live elephants were brought in as a part of the re-enactment of the Battle of Zama.   read more…

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