“I just spoke with Piccolo Teatro management expect travel of more than 5,000 people by 1pm today” at Ornella Vanoni’s funeral home in Milan, “a testimony of affection that will continue tomorrow”. Tommaso Sacchi, Member of the Cultural Council of the City of Milan, said this outside the funeral home which opened shortly after 10am. “It was a morning full of emotions. A piece of Milan gathered around Ornella Vanoni. Fans, citizens, neighbors and many Italian and international artists from all over the world passed by: from TV, theater, music and cinema. A great tribute to a very important figure” added Sacchi.
A light wooden casket placed under the stage between two sunflower cushions, behind a large bouquet of white roses from the theater and banners of the Region of Lombardy and the Municipality of Milan. This is what Ornella Vanoni’s funeral home looks like. Once opened, there was a brief reflection with the family, Mayor Beppe Sala, and council member Tommaso Sacchi.
One of the first people to pay tribute was singer Emma Marrone. Vanoni’s song ‘Tomorrow is another day’ is repeated. Also present were Fabio Fazio, Fiorella Mannoia, Milan prefect Claudio Sgaraglia and actress Lella Costa.
“Ornella Vanoni is a reference for each of us, because she is a symbol of freedom, irreverence. The many times we sang together, many memories. I keep the funniest ones for myself”, he said Fiorella Mannoia arrived at the funeral home. “She is a cultured woman, she is an elegant woman, she is a free woman. Yes, she is a free woman and an extraordinary singer,” he added. “He was very ironic and he never missed a joke. It was a duty to come and say goodbye to him. He lived vividly until his last moments. You couldn’t have had a sweeter death,” he concluded.
Ornella Vanoni “was unique, the greatest of them all. We will miss her very much, but her music is eternal. ‘Tomorrow is another day’ is the song of my life”, said the TV presenter Simona Ventura. “I will miss her generosity. We talked for hours. She was a direct, sarcastic and ironic woman,” he added.
“It’s a big loss. Artists shouldn’t die and in a sense they don’t because they stay with us through what they do. And fortunately Ornella has done a lot,” said the singer Arisa. “Ornella was an extraordinary person. An extraordinary human being before becoming an extraordinary artist. She had a great personality. A free woman who preached freedom,” he said Alba Parietti to the funeral home.
Also a senator for life Liliana Segre arrived at Ornella Vanoni’s funeral home in Milan. Yesterday he had his bodyguard deliver a message to the singer’s house with the words ‘Unforgettable friend.’ With love. Liliana’. Segre lingered in front of the coffin for a long time.
“An artist of enormous anarchic grace. He would always be with all of us. Until finally he was driven by enthusiasm and said that we should do something together.” The singer said it Francesco Gabbani outside the funeral home.
The funeral home remains open until 2 p.m. Tomorrow from 10 am to 1 pm. Then at 15.00 the funeral will be celebrated at the church of San Marco in Brera, in the neighborhood where he lived.
For Milan, Ornella Vanoni “represents Milaneseness understood as the desire to be free and not always conditioned by the judgments of others, of the mainstream. From this point of view she is a beautiful example, a story very dedicated to our city and therefore I believe that we must find a formula to be grateful but also to leave a little behind her teachings”, said Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala.
To pay tribute to him in the city, “the question is always on the road but in my opinion, beyond the rules we have, he is such an important person in Milan that we need to find a formula to continue his teaching, so let’s think about it – he added -. We are not ready. He always told me that he was suffering from his illness, but at the same time he had this spirit and seemed invincible”. Vanoni asked for the dedication of the flower bed “and it is also part of a game and a joke – Sala underlines – it is clear that I honestly think we need to do more, we are thinking about it, but we found some rather significant formulas. We also need to hear from the family and those closest to him in the last phase. Let’s say I fully acknowledge the responsibility of the Municipality to create something that allows us to ensure that Ornella is always among us”.
Vanoni “was an extraordinary woman. I think of my memories of when she came to the office: instead of asking me about work – concludes Sala –, she always asked me about my personal life, she wanted to know if I was happy, if I was angry and how my relationship was as a couple. We will try to remember her in the best way”.
Videos Hall in the Ornella Vanoni funeral home: ‘Citizens mourn on Monday’
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