TL;DR
Italy held funeral services for songwriter Gino Paoli, 91, in his native Genoa as the nation mourned a voice of postwar romance.
MSM Perspective
Italian media report thousands gathered in Genoa for Paoli's funeral, with President Mattarella sending condolences.
X Perspective
Italian music fans on X share clips of 'Il cielo in una stanza' and call Paoli's death the end of an era in canzone d'autore.
Thousands of mourners gathered at the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta in Genoa on Tuesday for the funeral of Gino Paoli, the songwriter whose voice defined Italian postwar romance. Paoli died Sunday at the age of 91 [1].
The ceremony followed Paoli's death over the weekend, which prompted an outpouring of tributes from across Italian cultural and political life. President Sergio Mattarella sent a formal message of condolence, calling Paoli "a poet who gave Italy its soundtrack in the years when the nation was rebuilding itself" [1].
The service was attended by fellow musicians, including longtime collaborator Luigi Tenco's family members and singer Ornella Vanoni, who performed with Paoli for decades. Speakers at the ceremony recalled his most enduring compositions — "Il cielo in una stanza," "Sapore di sale," and "La gatta" — as works that transcended pop music to become part of Italy's collective memory.
Outside the basilica, fans who could not enter the packed church listened to the service on loudspeakers. Many carried flowers and handwritten signs quoting his lyrics. Genoa's mayor declared a day of civic mourning, with flags at half-staff across the city [1].
Paoli will be buried in a private ceremony at the Staglieno Cemetery, alongside other luminaries of Genoese culture. Italian state broadcaster RAI is scheduled to air a retrospective special on Wednesday evening.
-- ANNA WEBER, Berlin