In 1974, Hervé Gloaguen, member of the prestigious Viva agency, was one of the few French photographers to work in colour, while most of his colleagues used black and white, in the humanist tradition. During a trip to Italy, which he traveled from north to south with his wife and daughter, he stopped in Rome and parked his Volkswagen van on one of the hills. Always looking for the greatest possible proximity to the subject, he tried to capture the sensuality of the boys around the fountains, on the terraces of the cafés and in the restaurants. He immediately realized that he had to immortalize the mysteries of nightlife and its artificial lights. Initially shooting on film, he quickly moved on to slides, taking advantage of the generous support of Kodak, which at the time offered film to professional photographers and agencies. Between 1974 and 1995, he undertook five trips lasting a month each. He mixes with the crowd and enjoys the city: Rome has a lot to offer to those who appreciate and experience it. How can one not be impressed, even moved by these images – shown here for the first time – incredibly modern in their simplicity and in their artistic and technical skill? The shot reveals the complicity between the photographer and the subjects portrayed. In any case, it is a new perspective on a city so often depicted in films, music, literature and photography, which undoubtedly makes us miss those wonderful years still far from mass tourism and the omnipresence of smartphones.