Sarzana (La Spezia), 23 November 2025 – Dinner in the usual restaurant under the portico of Piazza Matteotti and then the walk through the streets of the center to reach the Firmafede Fortress. There Citadel it was in fact one of the places of the heart of Ornella Vanonia regular presence in the city for a long time. He had known her several years when she was a guest of the historic Sconfinando musical festival which for years characterized the cultural summer by appearing as a guest at the concert of the violinist Alessandro Quarta. A few years later he was the protagonist of an unforgettable concert in Piazza Matteotti together with his artistic companion par excellence: Gino Paoli. And so Ornella Vanoni began to get to know the historic center, intrigued by its charm and the affectionate and always very discreet welcome. A magic that was repeated a few months ago when the Milanese artist was a guest at the event organized by the lawyer Annamaria Bernardini de Pace.
Ornella Vanoni together with the group of Sarzana traders
In the past the singer had already participated in the event organized at the Roman villa in Bocca di Magra. But when the series of meetings with writers was transferred to the music stage in Piazza De Andrè the artist has given his availability to attend.
That evening, due to bad weather, it risked canceling but was moved to the last minute theater of the Fearless. It was a sort of final public farewell, excluding the television appearances, addressed to an attentive and enthusiastic audience who carefully followed his story of an intense, lively life full of great satisfactions. And right from the television screens Ornella Vanoni had spoken to Fabio Fazio about her bond with Sarzana.
The news of his passing, which occurred the other evening at the age of 91, left a veil of bitterness. Not only for the loss of a complete artist, singer, actress and television presenter rightly considered among the most famous interpreters of Italian music. But also for the memory of that presence in the streets of the center that made her one of home. Always available for a word, a souvenir photo and a joke. Ornella Vanoni has crossed the musical history of our country, from the fifties until a few days ago. Councilor Giorgio Borrini remembered her by publishing a photograph on his social profile. Not a classic smiling selfie, but a hug from behind, sweet and deep.
“He spoke to me about his love for Sarzana – he said Giorgio Borrini – for the National Antiques Exhibition and the Firmafede Fortress. It was nice to listen to the story of an intense life at the Impavidi during the evening, testimony to Italian popular culture. A nice presence and above all always extremely helpful. He wanted to be pampered by our city.”