A Day in the Life of Italy

Tenth in the Day in the Life series, this photographic impression of il bel paese and its people comprises some 200 shots taken by 100 international photographers, spread throughout the country, on April 27, 1990. From pictures of fashion models primping in Milan to glassblowers working on the island of Murano, from interiors of St. Peter's in Rome to gypsies gathered around a campfire in Sardinia, the photos reveal Italy's varied lifestyles--urban and rural, moneyed and not, up-to-date and ageless. Wisely focussing, for the most part, on people, the shots, arranged one or two to a page, are accompanied by brief captions and a locating map, and the photographer's credit. Affectionate and lively, the pictures generally eschew sensationalistic angles and perspectives for direct, upbeat views of a nation. (Nov.)