Milan has chosen to remember Ornella Vanoni with a public tribute that she would have loved. Two months after the artist’s death last November, the city dedicated a commemorative plaque to her placed in a flowerbed in Largo Greppi, right in front of the Piccolo Teatro Strehler, the place that marked the beginning of her career.
The inauguration of the plaque took place last night and was broadcast live on television during the special episode of What’s the weather like?titled Ornella endlessly. It was discovered by the mayor Giuseppe Sala, the councilor for culture Tommaso Sacchi and the directors of the Piccolo Teatro Lanfranco Li Cauli and Claudio Longhi, testifying to an initiative strongly supported by the municipal administration together with the theater institution.
The deep connection with the Piccolo Teatro
The relationship between Ornella Vanoni and the Piccolo Teatro has its roots in the early 1950s. The official stage debut came on April 13, 1957, in the show The Jacobins by Federico Zardi, directed by Giorgio Strehler. On that occasion she was entrusted with the revolutionary songs, marking her first real public appearance and the beginning of an artistic journey destined to last over sixty years. From that moment, the dialogue between Vanoni and the theater has never stopped, becoming an integral part of his artistic identity and the Milanese cultural story.
A wish expressed and fulfilled
As mentioned, the naming of the flowerbed also responds to a desire expressed by Vanoni herself about a year ago: that of having, after her death, a small dedicated space in her city. A simple gesture, far from monumentality, but consistent with its direct and ironic character. On the plaque you can read a dedication that perfectly encapsulates what Ornella Vanoni was: singer, artist and free woman.
The decision was made quickly after his death, with an internal discussion within the Municipality to identify a symbolic place consistent with his history. The plaque represents the first official tribute from the Municipality of Milan to the singer. An award that celebrates not only the internationally renowned artist, but also the profound connection between music, theater and the city, elements that accompanied his entire life.
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