David Riondino dies at 73, the "visionary" of Italian culture

David Riondino dies at 73, the "visionary" of Italian culture

David Riondino has died in Rome at the age of 73. The Florentine-born artist (1952) was active as a songwriter, actor, director and poet. He had been ill for some time and passed away at his home, leaving a rich and varied body of work that connected popular culture and literary traditions.

Tributes from friends and colleagues recalled his eclectic career and his role as a cultural catalyst. Designer Chiara Rapaccini remembered him as "our visionary leader," evoking decades of artistic collaboration.

• Music: active since the 1970s with the Victor Jara collective; shared the stage in 1979 with Fabrizio De André and PFM.
• Popular hit: credited as the author of the lyrics of "Maracaibo" (1981), performed by Lu Colombo and long associated with Italian summers.
• Press and satire: contributor to magazines such as Tango, Cuore, Comix and Linus, alongside prominent cartoonists and satirists.
• Film and theatre: worked with directors including Marco Tullio Giordana, the Taviani brothers and Gabriele Salvatores; on stage he collaborated with artists like Paolo Rossi and Dario Vergassola.
• Poetic outreach: founder of the "Il giardino della poesia" festival and the Scuola dei Giullari, aimed at reinterpreting medieval traditions for contemporary audiences.

He is survived by his wife, Giovanna Savignano, and his daughter Giada. Funeral rites will take place on Tuesday at 11:00 at the Chiesa degli Artisti in Piazza del Popolo, Rome, where colleagues and admirers may pay their respects.

Riondino's death marks the loss of an artist who skillfully bridged high culture and popular expression, bringing poetry and wit to a broad public.