Not many know that my family's favourite seaside resort, Tirrenia, didn't exist until the 1930s, when between Pisa and Livorno existed only a large swamp riddled with criminals and prostitutes. The town was created from scratch by the Fascist regime, that wanted to build there an upscale resort. In order to convince people to shell out the big money to buy the expensive villas, they came up with a brilliant plan: make this new town the home of Italian cinema. Thanks to an ambitious producer and the heir of the Agnelli family, Tirrenia was home to the first studios in Italy able to produce talking movies. The "Hollywood on the Arno" was born. Follow us while we tell you the tale of this dream and how it was ultimately doomed by Mussolini's megalomania. Now of those state-of-the-art studios there are only a few decrepit buildings and the memories of those that learned their trade there. Things could have gone very differently, though. In 1957 a British producer almost chose Tirrenia as the location for his latest project: turning into movies a series of novels on a suave, womanizing but ultimately ruthless special agent. If not for the shaky financial situation, James Bond would have been shot in Tirrenia. Let us know what you think about the incredible story by joining the conversation on our social media accounts:
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LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY)
https://www.repubblica.it/spettacoli/cinema/2016/03/13/news/hollywood_in_riva_al_tirreno_il_lungo_sogno_di_pisorno-135289248/
https://news.cinecitta.com/IT/it-it/news/55/66251/alla-scoperta-di-tirrenia-citta-del-cinema.aspx
https://larno.ilgiornale.it/2021/01/15/quando-tirrenia-era-la-hollywood-sullarno/
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1575976#.YTiLsp0zaUk
https://www.lanazione.it/pisa/cosa%20fare/tirrenia-studi-cinema-1.2291537
https://www.ilpost.it/2016/03/27/mostra-tirrenia-pisa/
http://www.boccadarno.it/pisorno-la-storia/
http://www.lakinzica.it/tirrenia-citta-del-cinema

BACKGROUND MUSIC
Title: The Opening Closing (instrumental)
Author: Pipe Choir
License: Creative Commons Attribution
Links: https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/p-c-iii-the-opening-closinginstrumentalcreative-commons
http://www.pipechoir.com/