like mine -the most beautiful, poor Italian girl you
can find." Zoe's search centred on the town of Latina which had been founded by the fascists in 1932. The dress was given to a poverty stricken young Italian girl called Amabile Altobella, which coincidentally was the same Christian name as the Fontana sister's mother. Amabile visited Rome just once to have the dress adapted by the Fontana sisters for her to wear at her own wedding to farm worker Adelino Solda with whom she remained happily married. They produced three daughters and five grandchildren. Amabile said, "I have had a happy marriage, so the dress brought me luck". The town council gave the young couple kitchen furniture and even organized a honeymoon for them in Paris. After the event she carefully wrapped the dress in tissue paper and stored it away without disturbing it for decades. It was not until 2002, when Micol Fontana, the last survivor of the three sisters traced the gown for a retrospective exhibition of their work, that it was re-discovered. It is sold with a photograph of Audrey wearing the original Fontana gown and a letter from the vendor confirming the provenance. It is estimated to fetch £8000-12000.
