Cinecittà (Pronounced [ˌtʃinetʃitˈta]; Italian: Cinema City) Is a Large Film Studio in Rome That Is Considered the Hub of Italian Cinema

Cinecittà (pronounced [ˌtʃinetʃitˈta]; Italian: 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.

1937 - 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").

1943-45 - The studios were bombed by the Western Allies during the bombing of Rome in World War II

1945 - 1947 the studios of Cinecittà were used as a displaced persons' camp for a period of about two years, following German occupation and Allied bombing that destroyed parts of the studio. An estimated 3,000 refugees lived there.

1950s Cinecittà was the filming location for several large American film productions like Ben-Hur, and then became the studio most closely associated with Federico Fellini.

1997 - After a period of near-bankruptcy, the Italian Government privatized Cinecittà in 1997, selling an 80% stake.

Notable Productions

As the home of Italian cinema, Cinecittà has seen the production of many classic films such as La Dolce Vita and Fellini Satyricon.

Since the days of Ben-Hur, the studios have welcomed international productions including Helen of Troy (1956), Francis of Assisi (1961), Cleopatra (1963), The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965), Fellini's Casanova (1976), Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet (1968), La Traviata (1982) and many other grand film productions. Recent films include Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York and Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.