Toscana & Chianti News
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The master's cupola
A life in a few sentences. Mauro Tedeschini, Editor of the daily newspaper La Nazione, interviewed master filmmaker Franco Zeffirelli to sum up, as only the greatest journalists are able to do, the art, career, regrets, recollections and latest news of one of the most emblematic and prestigious figures that Florence has ever produced.
The result is a 'kaleidoscope of emotions', which Toscana&Chianti News has the privilege of being able to offer its readers.
Eighty years of cinema, theatre and a whole host of recognitions. What are some of your fondest memories?
First and foremost, those tied to Romeo and Juliet, one of the films I’m most proud of: for thirty years, it has played a major role in the sentimental education of young people all over the world.
Love has always been an essential element of my work and Romeo and Juliet is the mother of all love stories. I also cherish the Last Supper scene in Jesus of Nazareth.
During the six-month film shoot, Robert Powell threw himself into the role with an impressive dedication; on the set, it was as if a divine force was at work and, during that scene in particular, we all had the sensation that something otherworldly was taking place.
Is there a film that you still haven’t been able to make?
There are two of them actually: one centred on the lives of Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo, the other on the life of Saint Francis and his brothers, in Jerusalem.
How much has your beloved Florence changed over the years?
There are a number of eyesores today: from the new Teatro dell'Opera [Opera House] to the monstrous new Courthouse in the Novoli neighbourhood.
However, it is the current times that are to blame: they are pushing everything and everyone to breaking point.
What or who would you save?
Mayor Renzi. I like him. He has understood that Florentines must be kept united and he’s tackling the city’s problems admirably.
His clear foresight sets him apart from his predecessors.
But what I’d save above all is Brunelleschi’s glorious Cupola. A city with a masterpiece of that calibre will never fall into decline.
For 2011 the prestigious American "Wine Enthusiast Magazine" chose Nipozzano Riserva 2007 by Marchesi di Frescobaldi as the wine of the year.
Food traditions love to follow in the footsteps of young Tuscan chefs. In this case, the chef actually has a name. We're talking about Paolo Fiaschi, owner of 'Papaveri Papere' restaurant in San Miniato.
He has paraded his total look around the world, from Dubai to Shanghai to the sumptuous Moscow show some time ago, but without ever forgetting his beloved Tuscany.
