{"id":5385430,"date":"2025-10-07T14:18:54","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T14:18:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.life.com\/?p=5385430"},"modified":"2025-12-26T14:17:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T14:17:38","slug":"dmitri-kessels-images-of-italy-1948","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.life.com\/destinations\/dmitri-kessels-images-of-italy-1948\/","title":{"rendered":"Dmitri Kessel&#8217;s Images of Italy, 1948"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The assignment for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/photographer\/dimitri-kessel\/\">Dmitri Kessel<\/a> was a straightforward one: capture images of Italy getting back to normal after World War II. His photos were part of a larger package showing how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marshallfoundation.org\/the-marshall-plan\/\">the Marshall Plan<\/a> was helping to rebuild Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LIFE wrote<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=a0YEAAAAMBAJ&amp;pg=PA28&amp;dq=alfa+romeo&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi5yNeDz4iQAxUThIkEHbeMG10Q6AF6BAgGEAM#v=onepage&amp;q=alfa%20romeo&amp;f=false\"> in its 1948 report<\/a> that, after the brutal war years, Europe was seeing a revival:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>From the tip of Italy north to <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Scapa_Flow\">Scapa Flow<\/a>, American travelers are discovering a surprising new look on the war-scarred face of Western Europe. Buildings are going up, the railroads are running, there is more food and the trade is brisk. In many small Italian villages newly painted homes gleam amidst the old colors of yellow terra cotta&#8230;. To Americans, who for a decade have only heard reports of European misery, all this comes as a pleasant shock.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>To document this moment of change, Kessel took photos of people enjoying a beach that had been previously unusable because it had been planted with land mines. He showed men working at an <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alfa_Romeo\">Alfa Romeo<\/a> factory in Milan that had been bombed in 1944, but was nearing its old production levels. Kessel also showed tourists from India and the United States visiting attractions that draw people the world over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kessel was not the first LIFE photographer to undertake an assignment like this. The year before, in 1947, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/photographer\/alfred-eisenstaedt\/\">Alfred Eisenstaedt<\/a> had also gone to Italy to survey the country&#8217;s post-war progress and come home with<a href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/destinations\/eisenstaedt-in-postwar-italy-and-yes-thats-pasta\/\">his own collection of amazing images<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the scars of World War II were still fresh\u2014one of Kessel&#8217;s photos shows workers rebuilding a bridge that had been taken out during the fighting\u2014the country remained photogenic. It&#8217;s why LIFE photographers\u2014and tourists (<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tourism_in_Italy\">including 60 million in 2024<\/a>)\u2014keep making Italy one of the most visited countries in the world.<br><\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_3e7bbfe546b18ebea10d4f2f56ff22de\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385444 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173346\/00688631-1024x810.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_c5ac784dfa5331c21c3accf4b393a9b6\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385445 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173350\/00688634-1024x826.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_75f7550c428f6d88a8b7b24b194216b6\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385450 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173409\/115997811-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6548be0ca6fe41a17fc2c93fc9ff5868\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385441 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"This Italian beach, which had been planted with landmines during World War II, was now safe for public use, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173334\/00688605-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">This Italian beach, which had been planted with landmines during World War II, was now safe for public use, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_bb643dd8c69d051688f62cc4519e862a\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385440 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"People danced on the terrace of an Italian beach as the country began to bounce back from World War II, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173328\/00688604-1024x704.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">People danced on the terrace of an Italian beach as the country began to bounce back from World War II, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_8d92fc23cac568e85f66786e9f051df0\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385439 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"A man and woman conversed at an Italian beach, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173323\/00688612-806x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">A man and woman conversed at an Italian beach, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_3c761c7ed88b733a48b637a44f2dc5d1\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385448 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173402\/115997724-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_b4e0424cd5772b80d6a2e3b0a995026a\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385438 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173320\/00688621-1024x688.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_ccfad9d7c858dcd19f01f97d079d6637\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385442 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173338\/00688586-1024x863.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_b02fa45bb39a4b429586ec012698c2dc\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385446 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"People  in Rome sunbathed and swawm at the Tiber boathouse, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173355\/00688659-1024x804.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">People  in Rome sunbathed and swawm at the Tiber boathouse, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_496db980b88a6e567af86ce805ad9607\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385452 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Men played checkers by the water in Italy, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173415\/115998184-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Men played checkers by the water in Italy, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_d9b587edf9ff7dcc11ddbf348632fb12\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385437 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173315\/115998188-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_481d10b9a31d8f7efdccef88cef60353\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385436 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Children played cards on the street in Italy, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173312\/115997940-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Children played cards on the street in Italy, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_67ca878102347472be17ecb10af9e24e\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385435 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173308\/115997968-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_4af2b3ff1344a6e81ff317151c72abe5\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385449 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"People harvested grain in Italy, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173406\/115997729-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">People harvested grain in Italy, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_97c4a5219b5d506feb930c5542a38970\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385431 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"A team of four oxen pulled a harvester over an oat field in Italy, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173253\/00688577-1024x930.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">A team of four oxen pulled a harvester over an oat field in Italy, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6b34e644f68000c137707826748d1492\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385447 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Factory workers in Italy, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173358\/115998303-800x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Factory workers in Italy, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_b71286edbd71df935e8f18bb48ebf7b2\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385432 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"The Alfa Romeo plant in Milan, Italy, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173257\/00688579-1024x770.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">The Alfa Romeo plant in Milan, Italy, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_1d4620da0a73352f1c4994eec3c74e8a\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385457 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"The Alfa Romeo plant in Milan, Italy, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03175944\/00688600-809x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">The Alfa Romeo plant in Milan, Italy, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_80488b86e78ef74771ae8e7b3abecaba\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385456 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Two newly assembled Alfa Romeos were checked over at the company factory in Milan, Italy, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03175941\/00688598-829x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Two newly assembled Alfa Romeos were checked over at the company factory in Milan, Italy, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_dee066639f4bd508801cf4a0a3d7e955\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385460 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03175953\/00688633-833x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_e316ffaf8359c2b187d7ccf630923ded\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385433 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"American sightseers at St. Peter&#039;s in Rome, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03173301\/00688627-823x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">American sightseers at St. Peter&#8217;s in Rome, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_ad0baf50a0d2854d8f430f845b336f38\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385459 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Tourists posed at the Colosseum in Rome, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03175949\/00688628-658x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Tourists posed at the Colosseum in Rome, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_4132984a3ca5bdda033b710f13f5251e\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385458 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03175947\/00688624-788x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_fc40a1069f210dfe6275113b646aed0e\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385453 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03175933\/00688670-1024x831.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Scenes around Italy from a story about the country starting to bounce back from World War II, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_23636686b351eacb57d98ea71c2396b7\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385454 desc=\"\" caption=\"Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Workers reconstructed a bridge over the Po River as Italy began to bounce back from World War II, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/03175935\/00688656-810x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Workers reconstructed a bridge over the Po River as Italy began to bounce back from World War II, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Dmitri Kessel\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The assignment for Dmitri Kessel was a straightforward one: capture images of Italy getting back to normal after World War II. His photos were part of a larger package showing how the Marshall Plan was helping to rebuild Europe. LIFE wrote in its 1948 report that, after the brutal war years, Europe was seeing a &#8230; <a title=\"Dmitri Kessel&#8217;s Images of Italy, 1948\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/destinations\/dmitri-kessels-images-of-italy-1948\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":5385440,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[2627,579,61,2628,2626,1420],"class_list":["post-5385430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-destinations","tag-alfa-romeo","tag-dmitri-kessel","tag-italy","tag-marshall-plan","tag-milan","tag-rome"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Dmitri Kessel&#039;s Images of Italy, 1948 - LIFE<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/destinations\/dmitri-kessels-images-of-italy-1948\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dmitri Kessel&#039;s Images of Italy, 1948 - LIFE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The assignment for Dmitri Kessel was a straightforward one: capture images of Italy getting back to normal after World War II. His photos were part of a larger package showing how the Marshall Plan was helping to rebuild Europe. LIFE wrote in its 1948 report that, after the brutal war years, Europe was seeing a ... 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