Italian photographer Umberto Pizzi died on Tuesday, September 29, at the age of 89, after a decades-long career photographing international film stars and continuing to work with newspapers and news websites until just days before his death.
Italian media described Pizzi as one of the last paparazzi of Rome’s “Dolce Vita”, the golden era when the Italian capital was one of the world’s major centres of international cinema.
Through his lens, Pizzi captured some of the era’s biggest stars, including Marcello Mastroianni, Vittorio Gassman, Roberto Rossellini, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
Pizzi once revealed that one of the most memorable moments of his career came when Gérard Depardieu physically confronted him as he tried to photograph the French actor.
He often addressed major stars informally and, alongside his work for Italian newspapers and magazines, expanded his collaborations to international publications including the American magazines People and Time.
Pizzi remained active behind the camera almost until the end of his life, continuing to document the world of entertainment and celebrity photography.
