largest and most complete motion-picture studio in Italy; the centre of national cinematography. Located outside Rome, Cinecittà was constructed in 1935–36 from the ruins of Cines, an important early studio. It was the focus of the Italian movie industry during World War II, when bombings almost completely destroyed its facilities.

The studios were rebuilt after the war, and by 1950, Cinecittà was once again in full production. For the next 10 years Cinecittà set cinema trends through the early work of such leading directors as Michelangelo Antonioni, Vittorio De Sica, and Federico Fellini. The growth of private studios, however, and the decline in the quality of Cinecittà's films diminished its prestige in later years.