According to the legend, Roma people were the gods’ favourite thanks to the sheer beauty of their women, whose long silky hair and sparkling eyes went unmatched.

Today, gleaming palaces reminiscent of Walt Disney fairytales have been built by wealthy Gypsies in various regions of Romania. Women rule these communities, spending their days raising children, watching soap operas and looking pretty while their husbands are away on business.

I travelled to Romania to meet these rich Roma communities several times between 2011 and 2013. After numerous discussions, shared meals and photographic portraits offered as a token of my appreciation, I could progressively enter an unexpected and private world.