Stunning photographs of life in 1980s Italy encapsulate the pursuit of 'la dolce vita'
- Photographer Charles H. Traub travelled extensively to Italy to capture the lives of ordinary people
- His colourful, nostalgic work appears in a book, Dolce Via: Italy in the 1980s
- Images include shopping nuns, bikini-clad sunbathers and children playing leap frog in the streets
Italy has long been famous for its laid-back approach to living, widely known as 'la dolce vita', or 'the good life'.
And these pictures from the early 1980s, taken by Charles H. Traub, encapsulate it perfectly.
Each image contains glimpses of laid-back life in Italy, including lazy days on the beach, children enjoying gelato and couples kissing on park benches. They burst with nostalgia.
A number of Traub's images use the Trevi Fountain in Rome as a backdrop. This is the same fountain Anita Ekberg danced in in Federico Fellini's 1960 movie La Dolce Vita. However, monuments play second fiddle to figures and fashions in Traub's work.
Travelling extensively throughout Italy in the 1980s, Traub exhibited his photographs widely and collated them into a book, Dolce Via: Italy in the 1980s, published by Damiani Editore in 2014. The first edition sold out.
Traub has travelled all over the world taking photographs and is now chair of the photography department of the School of Visual Arts in New York.
Two priests and a mannequin on a bicycle in Reggio Emilia in 1983. Many of Traub's photographs are laced with wry humour
A woman is absorbed in a book as she cools her feet in Rome's Trevi Fountain in 1981. This monument was made famous in Fellini's 1960 La Dolce Vita, which showed Anita Ekberg cavorting in the water
Charles H. Traub travelled extensively to Italy for his Dolce Via project, visiting particular areas for two or three weeks at a time. Here, two girls in matching dresses whisper by a fountain in Siena in 1983
Two children enjoy gelato in Venice in 1981. Traub's work is often characterised by bright bursts of primary colours
Three nuns indulge in a spot of window shopping in Rome, 1982. Traub's eye for colour and pattern make his images captivating
A woman sunbathes in a crowded Venetian piazza in 1981. This image is just one of many found in photographer Charles H. Traub's book Dolce Via: Italy in the 1980s
A bearded motorcyclist leans on his ride next to a sign advertising a guitar concert in Rome in 1983
A smartly dressed older man poses for Traub as he takes his photograph. Monuments and buildings play second fiddle to people in his photographs
A watermelon stand on the roadside in Milan tempts passing cars. Meanwhile, a group of children play football in the background
Children play leap frog in a quiet Rome backstreet in 1983. Many of Traub's pictures show the simple pastimes that entertained children 35 years ago
Mischief makers? Two young boys observe a woman asleep on the beach in Naples, 1982, while a horse is cooled off in the sea in the background
Right back at you: Two elderly women photograph Traub as he works in Milan in 1981
Life's a beach: Four women soak up the sun in their swimsuits in Naples in 1982
A young, sunkissed woman poses for Traub on a balcony overlooking Rome in 1981
A suave gentleman leans on his sports car outside Orvieto Cathedral in Umbria in 1989
An amorous couple show how at ease Italians are with public displays of affection as they kiss in a shady spot in Venice in 1981
Two young women hold hands in Milan in 1983. Traub's photographs give an intimate insight into the Italy of yesteryear
A group of young people soak up the sun in Amalfi in 1982 by a row of scooters
Children pose for Traub, who appears to have interrupted one of them mid hair-wash in Naples in 1982
A couple adjusts their baby's pushchair and parasol in front of the Temple of Concordia in Agrigento, Sicily, in 1981
Suntans and smiles: A group shot of young men in Positano in 1981
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There was a time when Castiglioncello was the playground of Italy's most beautiful people, a favourite seaside haven for those who marked the golden age of the country's cinema that brought films such as La Dolce Vita to the silver screen.
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It was la dolce vita - the sweet life - that they came for as they sipped Tuscany's famous Chianti either in the confines of their lavish villas or in the town's famous nightclub la Ciucheba until it all unravelled in the 1980s.
Stars of the era including La Dolce Vita star Marcello Mastroianni, along with Vittorio Gassman, Suso Cecchi D’Amico, Paolo Panelli e Bice Valori and many more called the town their temporary home while movies such as Il Sorpasso and Pellegrini d’Amore featuring a young Sofia Loren were filmed there.
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The sweet life could be yours for more than £7million at the former residence of famous Italian actor Alberto Sordi
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The lavish interior, restored with class by the most recent owner, of Sordi's summer residence in the seaside town in Tuscany
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Beautiful ocean view one bedroom (right) and the study that includes touches of the lives of Sordi and the original owner, Vittorio Corcos
But as the town that once unseated Sorrento as a favourite summertime escape for the well heeled fell out of favour, the deluxe villas that had been popping up since rich baron Lazzaro Patrone bought up the coastal land in the late 1800s were often left with for sale signs hanging at the front and their stunning views without anyone to enjoy them.
But a relaunch is on, says Lionard Luxury Real Estate's Ian Heath, who recently sold one of the village's most iconic properties and is delighted to see it returned to its former glory as a hotel and has another, the former residence of one of Castiglioncello's most famous residents on the books.
On the market with Lionard is the Villa Corcos, the summer haven for Alberto Sordi from 1962 to 1997. One of the most beautiful villas in Castiglioncello, it has breathtaking views from its 9,700 square foot main house and 6,500 square foot lodge terrace.
The property listed for more than 10 million euros (£7m) is just one of 16 multi-million pound properties the agent has listed while Villa Pontello was also recently sold on behalf of Count Flavio Callisto Pontello, the builder and ex-president of Serie A football club Fiorentina.
Built originally by the baron patron for the painter Vittorio Corcos, hence its name, Sordi bought the villa from the artist's daughter and used it as a place to retreat to rather than a home, like many of his contemporaries did with their coastal properties.
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The property has breathtaking views from its 9,700 square foot main house and 6,500 square foot lodge terrace
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Sordi (right in 1961's The Best of Enemies) owned Villa Corcos from 1962 to 1997 and it's still one of the town's most beautiful villas
The Italian entrepreneur who next bought the property restored the villa to its former glory and paid tribute to the past owners by including portraits of Sordi and Corcos in the reworked study.
The property is described by Lionard as 'a most iconic slice of that bygone era' and the purchaser has 'a chance to contribute to the rebirth of this once great holiday town.'
Castiglioncello, with just 3,000 inhabitants and very little scope to expand, is dubbed 'agreeably unpretentious' these days by Lonely Planet.
Seemingly untouched by mass tourism, its beaches are pristine while the Pasquini Castle, built in the late 1880s by Baron Patrone, is a reminder of its past glories and now used by the Municipality for cultural events including a traditional dance festival, and literary and photography competitions.
One of the more remarkable structures of the town and formerly owned by the wealthy Bulgari family, Villa Godilonda is being reinvigorated as a lavish hotel by an unnamed Russian businessman who bought it for £4.3m late last year.
The property's main villa has 28 bedrooms, a winter garden and a spa with sauna, massage rooms and a Turkish bath, and is nestled in 11,000 square metres of park and Mediterranean scrub. It also has a private beach and space for a helipad.
Beautiful drone footage captures villas in Castiglioncello
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Villa Godilonda is being reinvigorated as a lavish hotel by an unnamed Russian businessman who bought it for £4.3m late last year
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Stars sipped Tuscany's famous Chianti either in the confines of their lavish villas or in the town's famous nightclub la Ciucheba until it all unravelled in the 1980s
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Villa Godilonda is one of the more remarkable structures of the town and was famously owned by the wealthy Bulgari family
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The property's main villa has 28 bedrooms while outside there is a private beach 11,000 square metres of park and Mediterranean scrub
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Surrounded by greenery and water, the villa has a winter garden and a spa with sauna, massage rooms and even a Turkish bath
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Castiglioncello nestles on a stunning stretch of Tuscany coastline
Built at the end of the 19th century, Godilonda was owned by the American Carter family from 1924 and after World War Two became the Bulgari's summer residence.
It became a hotel in the 1980s but closed in 2007. After years of dilapidation, the villa with the name that translates to 'enjoy the waves' - as given by writer Gabriele D’Annunzio after a romantic night there - is getting a rebirth as 'one of the most luxurious and beautiful hotels in the world'.
'After the degradation of the last years, the villa can finally live again, and contribute to the relaunching of one of Tuscany’s most beautiful seaside resorts,' says Lionard's Heath.
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An old postcard show Castiglioncello was a bustling haven for the rich and famous before the economic downturn in Italy during the 1980s
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The pristine stretch of sand of Castiglioncello with multi-million pound villas towering over it in this beautiful retro shot
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There was a time when Castiglioncello was the playground of Italy's most beautiful people
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It was a favourite seaside haven for those who marked the golden age of the country's cinema that brought films such as La Dolce Vita to the silver screen
La Dolce Vita: Oozing timeless glamour, STUNNING photographs of Italy's golden era reveal why the country has been an A-lister favourite since the 1950s
- Nostalgic black and white shots reveal how holidaymakers of yesteryear flocked to Rome, Positano and Venice
- Candid day-to-day images showcase market stalls of Naples, priests reading outside the Vatican and a child barber
- Country provided cinematic canvas for La Fortuna di Essere Donna and legend Sophia Loren is pictured on set
Unapologetically beautiful, even in nostalgic black and white shots it’s hard to disguise the A-lister appeal of Italy.
Capturing the timeless charm of the Mediterranean gem, this series of candid images from the 1950s showcases a lively mix of day-to-day life including a man selling cherries at a market stall in Naples, a pair of priests reading L’Osservatore in Vatican city and a child barber shaving an elderly client.
The traditions of yesteryear are preserved in these photographs of girls on the Venetian island of Buran learning the art of making lace, boys playing in a local band and villagers in Abruzzo celebrating the May Festival.
The pictures also reveal that holidaymakers have long flocked to the country’s glamorous hotspots of Positano and Venice and that celebrities were attracted by a glittering calendar of car races and bicycle championships.
During this golden era, Italy was inspiration for several Hollywood classics. The country provided the cinematic canvas for La Fortuna di Essere Donna at Ostia Antica and acting legend Sophia Loren is pictured on set.
Take a step back in time with MailOnline Travel to appreciate Italy’s enduring star quality.
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Roman holiday: An Italian labourer watches an American tourist walking her poodle down the Spanish Steps in Rome circa 1955
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City of romance: A gondolier navigates his way through Venice, in front of St Mark's square circa 1950
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Mediterranean heat: A tour boat leaves harbour for the 'Blue Grotto' on the isle of Capri circa 1955
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Spring showers: A schoolboy walks through the rain in Saint Mark's Square, Venice, surrounded by Saint Mark's Cathedral and the Doges' Palace, circa 1958
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Fruits of labour: A man sells cherries from a market stall in Naples while punters watch on, circa 1952
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Vacation hot spot: Holidaymakers enjoy the sunshine and a swim on the beach at Positano, Italy, circa 1949
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Two women hailing a Vespa Taxi-Scooter, a new type of taxi built for two passengers, in Milan circa 1952
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Fast cars: Italian driver Alberto Ascari steers his Lancia at the finish line of the 1000 Miles race in Rome in 1954
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The Reschen Lake in southern Tyrol, Italy which covers the sunken village of Graun. Only the church steeple still shows above the water of the lake, which was the site of the Italian Sailing Championship in 1953
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The bustle of tourists, pigeons, and public servants in Venice (left) and two musicians play instruments in Calabria, southern Italy (right)
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Morning review: A pair of priests read 'L'Osservatore' outside St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City circa 1955
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Reflecting the rhythm of the city: A stall holder sells live crabs at a market in an Italian fishing town, circa 1950
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British violonist Yehudi Menuhin (left) and his wife Diana eating spaghetti before a concert the Maestro gave at the Venice theatre
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Two sides of Italian life: A gondolier plies his trade (left) and Italian actress Giovanna Ralli sits on a stone step (right), before starring film 'Si' at Cinecitta in Rome both pictures circa 1955
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Italian film actress Sophia Loren on location at Ostia Antica for the filming of 'La Fortuna di Essere Donna' with the French actor Charles Boyer circa 1955
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Cinematic canvas: Sophia Loren on location for the filming of 'La Fortuna di Essere Donna in 1955
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Young Italian men having lunch in a cafe in Rome and reading the communist paper 'Unita' and the socialist 'Avanti' (left). Three priests looking up at the architecture of a square during a visit to the Vatican City (right)
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Spring festivities: Italians celebrate a May Festival in the village of Bucchianico, near Chieti in Abruzzo in May 1957
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A cheeky young boy from Calabria, southern Italy (left) and the son of a fisherman looks after his two sisters whilst his parents work in the seas off Calabria, southern Italy (right) circa 1950
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Timeless tradition: A young barber learns the tricks of the trade while at work on an elderly client in Italy
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Girls on the Venetian island of Burano learning the art of making lace in 1954 (left) and a group of unemployed men playing cards on a street corner in Sicily in 1955
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A small boy plays with the pigeons in the Piazza del Unita, Trieste in 1950 (left) and one of 500 Catholic nuns in Rome at a conference to discuss the modernisation of Italy's convents in 1955
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Glittering events: Italy's Fausto Coppi finishing the seventeenth lap of the bicycle race across Italy, on June 5, 1952.
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Party time: Italians celebrate a May Festival in the village of Bucchianico, near Chieti in Abruzzo in 1957
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Time for enduring traditions: A group of boys playing in a village ban in 1950
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