PICTURETHIS

ITALY 1900: A PORTRAIT IN COLOUR

(Taschen £60, 580 pp)

DID you know that, in Rome, nearly 700,000 euros worth of coins are tossed into the Trevi Fountain each year? Or that gondolas in Venice must be painted black by law? This quirky 16th-century ruling was devised to eliminate unfair competition between the city’s many gondolas. Just two fascinating nuggets from this delightful compilation of postcard images taken in the early days of mass tourism, revealing turn-of-the-century Italy with all its charming architecture and rich history.