20 Stunning Black-and-White Photos of 1960s and '70s Italian Screen Icons (21 photos)

A wonderful collection of photographs taken by pioneer Italian paparazzo turned celebrity photographer Tazio Secchiaroli. These images capture an era when Italian cinema reigned supreme and its leading ladies were celebrated as the most beautiful women in the world.





Tazio Secchiaroli (1925–1998) was an Italian photographer widely regarded as one of the original paparazzi. In 1955, he founded the Roma Press Photo agency. Secchiaroli served as the direct inspiration for the news photographer Paparazzo in Federico Fellini's classic film "La Dolce Vita." Much of Fellini's research into the tabloid press simply involved taking Secchiaroli and his friends out to lunch and listening to their wild escapades.

Ironically, by the time the term "paparazzi" caught on, Secchiaroli had already become an insider in the Italian film industry, leaving aggressive tabloid photography behind. He earned acclaim for his intimate, candid portraits of movie stars—both on soundstages and in their private homes.

Here is a look at some of the silver screen legends he captured at the height of his career in the 1960s and 1970s.



Claudia Cardinale, 1961.





Vittorio De Sica on the set of "Marriage Italian Style," Cinecittà, 1964.



Elsa Martinelli on the set of "The 10th Victim," 1965.



Federico Fellini on the set of "8½," 1963.



Fellini on the set of "Amarcord," 1974.



Sophia Loren between takes on the set of "Arabesque," 1966.



Sophia Loren in a scene from "The Priest's Wife," 1970.



Sophia Loren trying on a wig.



Sophia Loren taking a break during the filming of "More Than a Miracle" (C’era una volta), 1967.



Sophia Loren taking a break while shooting "White, Red and...", 1972.



Silvana Mangano with her three children on the set of "The Last Judgment," 1961.



Silvana Mangano, 1961.



Marco Ferreri on the set of "Casanova 70," 1965.



Marcello Mastroianni on the set of "Casanova 70," 1965.



Marcello Mastroianni on the set of "8½," 1963.



Marcello Mastroianni and Marisa Mell in "Casanova 70," 1965.



Pier Paolo Pasolini on the set of "Accattone," 1961.



Virna Lisi in "Casanova 70," 1965.



Virna Lisi on the set of "Casanova 70," 1965.



Fellini jumping on the set of "8½," 1963.