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Portofino became famous for la dolce vita in the 1950s and ‘60s, when movie stars such as Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor, and Sophia Loren vacationed here. The town is still a star-studded destination - Madonna, Cate Blanchett, Heidi Klum and Gwyneth Paltrow have all been photographed in the Italian village in recent years. Long ago, Portofino was an ancient Roman colony, seized by the Republic of Genoa in 1229. The French, Spanish, English & a 16th-century band of pirates have all taken their turn at ruling Portofino.