Living La Dolce Vita: Vintage Photos Show How Idyllic Italy Was In The 1980s

Amalfi, 1982

Charles Traub/Damiani

Photographer Charles Traub has been documenting the world through his all-seeing lens for the better part of fifty years, but no place has made more of an impression on him than Italy.

Though he has visited countless times since, Traub’s trips to Italy during the 1980s — the period when he first visited — remains a critical points of his career. During that time, Traub traveled to various parts of Italy each year, staying for 2 or 3 weeks at a time, to photograph what he called La Dolce Via, or the Sweet Way, a reference to the exuberant street life that has long been a hallmark of Italian culture.

More info: Charles Traub (h/t: businessinsider)

Agrigento, 1981

Charles Traub/Damiani

Venice, 1981

Charles Traub/Damiani

Rome, 1980

Charles Traub/Damiani

Naples, 1981

Charles Traub/Damiani

Naples, 1981

Charles Traub/Damiani

Rome, 1981

Charles Traub/Damiani

Milan, 1981

Charles Traub/Damiani

Florence, 1981

Charles Traub/Damiani

Rome, 1981

Charles Traub/Damiani

Rome, 1982

Charles Traub/Damiani

Naples, 1982

Charles Traub/Damiani

Rome, 1982

Charles Traub/Damiani

Naples, 1982

Charles Traub/Damiani

Florence, 1982

Charles Traub/Damiani

Reggio Emilia, 1983

Charles Traub/Damiani

Naples, 1985

Charles Traub/Damiani