We must render, not to Caesar, but to Cleopatra what is Cleopatra's.
Without it, Bulgari's Serpenti would never have been so successful in its moults.
First there was the “real” Cleopatra, epitome of the powerful woman, who asserted her power by covering herself in gold and symbols.
Starting with the serpent of Pharaonic Egypt, representing power and immortality, which she wore in bracelets high on her arm.
The beauty and finery of Caesar's wife then fascinated the Roman people, even the goldsmiths who were inspired by her jewelry.
This early influencer popularized this motif, which was all the rage throughout ancient Greece and Rome.
Then there was the "other" Cleopatra, equally flamboyant and inspiring, embodied by Elizabeth Taylor in 1963 in Mankiewicz's peplum.
This four-hour superproduction, shot at Cinecitta, combines all the superlatives: two years of filming, an excessive budget that will put 20th Century Fox on the verge of bankruptcy, 4,000 extras, 26,000 costumes...
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