Glasses of red wine and songs sung at the top of your lungs: in Via Paolo Fabbri 43 the last farewell to the great Francesco Guccini

The news spread yesterday like a bolt from the blue, leaving an unbridgeable void: Francesco Guccini passed away at the age of 86. A few hours after the announcement, the reaction of those who loved him transformed into a collective embrace in front of the door of Via Paolo Fabbri 43, in the Cirenaica district of Bologna, where the singer-songwriter born in Modena but closely linked to the Bolognese soul lived until 2012 before retiring to the tranquility of the small village of Pavana on the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.

That same street made immortal by his sixth album has been transformed into a spontaneous altar made of bouquets of flowers, notes steeped in nostalgia, candles and glasses of red wine placed on the walls. Among the hundreds of people who came from every corner of the city and of Italy, one could feel the weight of a farewell that closely affects entire generations, but above all the desire to celebrate a poetic memory destined to never die.

The people in the street: an infinite choir to greet the singer-songwriter

The real homage to the Maestrone came from the voices of the people. Throughout the day and until late at night, Cyrenaica resounded with his most famous verses, sung spontaneously by very young people and by those who had lived that Bologna of taverns side by side with the artist. In an atmosphere of deep emotion, over 500 people sang at the top of their lungs Song for a friend, Autogrill, You see dear, Venice and the inevitable The locomotivetransforming pain into a moment of authentic sharing.

Acoustic guitars, stereos blaring from the windows and even the radio of a courier van provided the soundtrack to an ongoing pilgrimage. Everyone singing those songs moved, with glass in hand, finding their youth and the history of Italy in those verses. The refrain of the same Via Paolo Fabbri 43 it is sung as a hymn of belonging, capable of uniting those who lived in Bologna in the 70s and those who have only recently discovered Guccinian poetry. What was felt yesterday in Cyrenaica is evidence of a popular poetry that does not fade away.

The condolences of the institutions and the memory of fellow travelers

The passing of Francesco Guccini united the entire country in a single message of affection and respect. From the words of esteem expressed in Parliament to the warm memories of colleagues and friends such as Gianni Morandi, Ligabue, Vasco Rossi and the historic neighbor Manuela Musiani, the figure of the artist was remembered as that of an unparalleled cultural reference point. Even the mayor of Bologna Matteo Lepore wanted to underline the visceral bond between the poet and his land, relaunching the images of a city united in song and announcing a great collective commemoration.

A legacy that resonates between the Via Emilia and the West

After the moment of contemplation in front of the historic house, the human tide set off towards the Trattoria da Vito and the Giancarlo Susini garden, bringing into the streets the same anarchic and passionate energy that the singer described in his works. Francesco Guccini leaves behind an invaluable linguistic and human heritage, capable of analyzing society without ever giving in to fashion. As long as there is someone ready to strum a chord and toast life in the name of free thought, the voice of the great poet will continue to resonate alive, well beyond the time of a final applause.