Why the fuss and expense? Well, because it's Karl Lagerfeld and it's Chanel.
800 glamorous guests are transported by a world famous designer to the (also world famous) Cinecitta film studios, a home of Italian cinema, built by Mussolini just outside Rome in the 1930s.  These studios are the home of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton's on the set fight during the filming of Cleopatra. Only Karl!

Images via Vogue.com