Weapons, fast food and pop contests: "decaying" Italy of the 80‑90s

Every summer of the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, the tourist resort of Rimini was the most Italian place in the world. Then there was no banking crisis, or even the euro. Silvio Berlusconi and his bikini-clad TV hosts reigned supreme on his commercial TV channels. Club party-goers flooded the legendary Cocoricò Club. And the funeral of director Federico Fellini was a matter of national importance.

In 1983, a cafe of the first Italian fast food chain Italy&Italy opened in the city. It has become a symbol of the cultural changes that the country has experienced in a relatively short time. The success of the institution did not go unnoticed: a few years later, McDonald's bought out Italy&Italy and converted all the branches into its restaurants.

Pasquale Bove, a photojournalist from Rimini, has been documenting the crazy summer seasons at this resort for many years. Photographer Luca Santese went through the Beauvais archive, consisting of more than 200 thousand frames, and selected several that were included in the book Italy&Italy, published in 2016. This is a collection of euphoric images of city fairs, having fun TV starlets who will later go into politics, and partially naked people who are trying to make the most of their summer.

A girl poses in front of a police van.

The results of the police search.

Competition of the best buttocks in one of the clubs.

Actress Maria Grazia Cucinotta enjoys a portion of Italian gelato ice cream.

The funeral of director Federico Fellini in 1993.

Club-goer in Rimini.

City fair.