Audrey in Rome: The Style Icon's Intimate Photo Album―Candid Everyday Moments by Her Son Luca Dotti

by Luca Dotti, Ludovica Damiani, Sciascia Gambaccini

Assembled by and with an introduction by Audrey Hepburn's son Luca Dotti,  Audrey in Rome  is an intimate collection of almost two hundred candid photographs of the beloved actress and much-imitated style icon during the twenty-year period she made Rome her home. This is Audrey Hepburn unposed, photographed unknowingly on the streets of Rome and on the sets of the films she made during that time. This private album of rare snapshots—many never published before—show Hepburn in her everyday life as she strolls around the city, alone or with her family, arriving at or leaving the airport, buying postcards and flowers; walking her Yorkie Mr. Famous, carrying pastries to a Sunday lunch with her mother-in-law, having breakfast, and more. This is Audrey as we have never seen her before. Divided into three distinct parts—the 1950s, the 1960s, and the 1970s,  Audrey in Rome  captures day-to-day moments of this iconic actress’s life all the while examining the evolution of her personal style. Throughout, renowned fashion editor Sciascia Gambacini provides knowledgeable commentary on Hepburn’s covetable look and the designers of her clothing, accessories, and hairstyles, pointing both to the styles of times as well as to Audrey’s aesthetics and influence. Fans will love seeing how Audrey dressed off screen and stage—her minimalist approach to elegance is in full view. Each chapter discusses the actress’s life, films, and style during each decade. Key aspects of her style are pointed out and explored throughout the the basket bag, the little black dress, the pill box hat with a scarf tied around it, her array of ballet flats, loafers, cropped trousers, day dresses and coats, even evening wear. The book also contains set photographs of the films she made during her Rome years ( Roman Holiday ,  War and Peace ,  The Nun's Story ,  Breakfast at Tiffany's ), including images of Audrey with her directors, costars, and even on break in costume. Irresistible as the actress herself,  Audrey in Rome  opens the door to Hepburn's personal world.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Fashion, Photography, Art, History, Coffee Table Books

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 27, 2011

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book before I even opened it. How could anyone not love a book filled with pictures of Audrey Hepburn in Rome?
I loved the introduction by her son Luca Dotti and in the brief descriptions on the following pages I learned so much about my favorite actress.
My only real disappointment is that there were far too few pictures from my all time favorite Audrey movie, Roman Holiday, but the ones that are included are wonderful.
I highly recommend this book. It's amazing and the pictures are beautiful. I loved it.

[jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5-2 stars rtc

*my audrey era!!!!!

[Liselotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! It's mostly beautiful pictures of Audrey from her time in Rome, with some extra little bits about what she did and how her life was in the 50s, 60s and 70s. This isn't text heavy, and if you want to learn more about Audrey I recommend reading Audrey At Home, also by Luca Dotti.
I"m really glad I added this one in my collection, but remember, it's mostly just pictures!

[Creolecat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ordered this book not only because it is Audrey, and Audrey in Rome during one of my favorite periods, but also because it is celebrating her style of dress. What I was specifically hoping for was the name of each of the designers to accompany the photos. I know that she was Givenchy’s muse, but everything she wore was not by the designer. And even though I could never afford that fabulous coat or that chic purse she’s carrying, I like to know who the designer was because I have fun finding ways of recreating her timeless style.

[Leigh Kaisen]

a favorite quote: "...She was a Hollywood star, but at the time Audrey could just as easily have passed for a teenager at a Beatles concert, a first lady on an official visit, or a beautiful airline stewardess. She was instead a fashion icon of the most disciplined polish, full of passion, but never reckless or provocative: as such, Audrey was the ideal guest for a city like Rome, which never tired of her."

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. While I enjoyed looking at the never-before-published photographs (seemed like a high number taken at airports) the book is very light on text, and certainly nothing really new revealed. A nice addition to my "Audrey shelf" but one I think I would have preferred to have waited and bought used for a lower price

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always enjoy looking through pictures of Audrey, but I do wish this book offered more anecdotes, or really anything interesting about her or her life in Rome. Instead we only get the straightforward facts of who she is with in a picture, when it was taken, and where in Rome it was taken. I don't think this has much to offer, except that the photos are printed nicely on good paper...

[Kim Baccellia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooh, love this coffee table book filled with photos and insights of Audrey by her son! The only thing I'd suggest though is to buy the book. The photos on my Nook Tablet are really small!

A total must have for any AH fan!

[Jeffery · Rating 4 out of 5]

A glimpse at a woman of uncompromising style and grace with little effort. A true love letter from a son to his mother.

[Lucija · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audrey is one of the people I look up to. She seemed like a really good person, gentle and kind. Her personality and style was unique. She was and still is a mesmerizing lady.
I follow the blog Rare Audrey Hepburn, a great page to get to know Audrey, full of high quality photographs. Sometimes I like to relax browsing through the pictures, seeking inspiration and learning something new about this fascinating lady. She's one of those people that have exquisite appearance. So, when I found out that this book was going to be gifted (when it came out) by the Rare A. H. blog and signed by Luca Dotti, Audrey's son, I was so hoping to be the one that will get on of three books. Sadly, I didn't get it then, but this year I got it for my birthday and it is the first book about Audrey that I have. I picked out this one because it is set in Rome, la città eterna, full of history and so beautiful. So it seemed interesting to see how Audrey experienced it.
It is a gorgeous book, there's many pictures I still haven't seen and I enjoyed flipping the pages and imagining how her everyday life looked like. It also shows how her style changed through three decades. And this cover photo! Her smile just makes me happy and makes me want to open the book again. I did expect more text and a better view of Rome.
To conclude, it is a charming book, nice to catch some new details and I'm glad to have picked it as my first Audrey book. I would give it 3,5/4 rating.

[Kristi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I adored Audrey Hepburn and have read a biography about her survival in Nazi occupied Europe. When I watched "Charade" and saw Audrey and Cary Grant on a boat trip down the Seine in Paris it became my dream to take that journey. Fulfilled. My favorite films in addition are "Breakfast at Tiffany's", "Robin and Marian", "Wait Until Dark", "Two for the Road", and "Roman Holiday". The reason that I gave a low review to the book was that so many of the photographs were done by paparazzi. I felt like Audrey was being stalked and am surprised that her son would support the book. When she was at galas and film debuts, and on the set, I feel that she was "fair game" for photographers, but too many showed her attempting to simply lead a normal PRIVATE life. Kristi & Abby Tabby

[kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A coffee table book! It did not take long to read and look at the photos. I really enjoyed it as I have been a fan of Audrey Hepburn.

This book starts around the 1950’s. I was born during that decade. Short captions go with the photos and there is a general introduction at each chapter covering the decades between the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s.

I enjoyed reading about her life and her two marriages. The first two decades she was mainly involved in her public life with the movies and her first husband. The last decade she decided to settle in Rome with her family to raise her two boys with her second husband.

One of her sons was involved creating this book using various photos from the family archives. These aren’t the typical photos you find in the public realm.

[Reading Fury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth it for the pictures alone. One bit of info the author provided that shows he may not have done quite a deep enough research. He is commenting on Audrey wearing pants and setting a trend for a sort of a mannish, carefree look (in Audrey's pixie-ish way) and how other Hollywood starts emulated her. He cites Katherine Hepburn as an example. Pretty sure Katherine was wearing her pants before Audrey, but that's a minor point. The joy of this book is really in the photos and thinking about how so many things have changed, including air travel. Lot's of fun!

[Sarah Esh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for any Audrey Hepburn fan, this collection of photographs and short summaries of her life highlight Hepburn's grace, beauty, and accomplishments.

This was a gift from my secret snowpal at work, and it was a perfect gift for me after my Audrey Hepburn Summer (of 2023). While there aren't many new insights in the text, it is very interesting to see the shift in fashions and how Hepburn sought to navigate fame and ordinary life.

If you love Hepburn, this is a perfect book!

[Louisa Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photographs were outstanding. Although they were commercial photos, they showed the unspoiled beauty of Audrey Hepburn.
There was not much script, but what there was was quite informative.
This book piqued my interest in Audrey Hepburn. I think I will need to read a more a more in-depth autobiography of Audrey Hepburn.

[Kamryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to see how her style changed with time, and yet it’s apparent her sense of style was simultaneously timeless.*

*The exception is the 1970s, but I’m pretty sure almost nobody escaped the 70s unscathed lol

[Sonali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very light read but an interesting insight into Audrey Hepburn's life and fashion trends she got to set thanks to the famous designers like Givenchy, Pucci and Valentino.

[Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it some never before seen photos

[Jane Coward · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointed

Not even worth $2 - snapshots of getting in and out of cabs and airplanes or walking on the street - even enlarged on IPad there’s not much to see.

[Lynne Rotan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t realize it was a photo book. Can’t appreciate the tiny pictures on e reader

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars...some interesting pictures and stories of Miss Hepburn in such a beautiful city!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun photo review of Audrey's style from the 1950s-1980s.

[Shelby Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What’s not to love about a whole book filled with Audrey Hepburn photos?

[Gretchen Schott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely photo book of her life in the 60s & 70s in Rome. On set and at events. Lovely comments from her son Luca throughout.

[Russell Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cool to see so many unposed photographs of Audrey.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Hepburn fan, I loved this personal look at Audrey as written by her son. The pictures are fun although small and none in color. I never realized that nearly her entire career she lived and enveloped the Roman life. There is very little Hollywood in this girl, contrary to my belief. Quick read focusing primarily on her style. One thing that stood out to me was the difference in her two marriages. With her first husband, Mel Ferrer, she looks so in love for years and years... Their affection transcends the pages. Yet when you look at pictures with her second husband, Andrea Dotti, you see no tenderness, no smiles, no affection... Nothing... At times not even tolerance. I thought that was funny since the author was the son of this second marriage. Couldn't he find better pictures where his parents look happy? Just makes me wonder what happened to her relationship with Ferrer.

[Amanda Pagano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely look into the life of Audrey Hepburn during her years living in Rome. While the book is mainly picture based there are many snippets of wonderful writing describing the elegant personality of Audrey. A book pushed for release with the aid of her youngest son Luca gives a personal touch of love to the words and pictures shared about her. As a long-time fan of Audrey it was nice to see her kindness and grace in all these images of her in Rome. One of my favorite things to see was her love for animals as a majority of the pictures in this book showed her walking her Yorkie named Mr. Famous. In one image among a group of people she was the only one on the ground playing with someone's dog. It was nice to see her kind heart shine throughout this book.

[Nicole | The Readerly Report · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audrey in Rome was my first time flipping through a book of Audrey Hepburn pictures. Her son, Luca Dotti, curated the photographs – with the purpose of presenting some that were little seen to the public – but most of the photos seemed to be publicity shots, and Audrey attending dinners and events. Very few were private family photos. I didn’t know a lot about Audrey Hepburn, so I enjoyed the anecdotes, and info surrounding her life and movies. While this is nice and easy to flip through, I doubt that die-hard Audrey fans will find much here that will be new for them.

[Lcitera · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book about my favorite actress in one of my favorite cities. What a disappointment. Black and white photos usually captioned "Audrey with (insert name of husband #1 or husband #2)". If one squints Rome is hovering in the background...but for the most part the book could have been titled AUDREY IN CLEVELAND and not many would have noticed much of a difference. So glad this book came to me via the library rather than investing in such a pathetic offering.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 I'm glad that I work at a library and checked the book out this way. The never before published pictures are lovely, but the book itself doesn't add to anything you already know about Audrey Hepburn.