Lydia Alfonsi (28 April 1928 – 21 September 2022) was an Italian actress.

Lydia Alfonsi
Alfonsi in 1962
Born
Lidia Alfonsi

(1928-04-28)28 April 1928
Parma, Kingdom of Italy
Died21 September 2022(2022-09-21) (aged 94)
Parma, Italy
OccupationActress
Years active1950–1997
Spouse
Vincenzo Messina
(m. 1973)
[1]

Life and career

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Born Lidia Alfonsi in Parma into a wealthy middle-class family, Alfonsi interrupted her accounting studies at a young age to pursue a career in theater.[2] In 1946 she won in a national competition for amateur dramatics and was noticed by one of the judges, the director Anton Giulio Bragaglia, who immediately hired her for his stage company.[2] Soon she was cast in leading roles in dramas and often in classical works, including many Greek tragedies.[2] In 1957 she made her film debut. In 1960 she began a professional and romantic relationship with television director Giacomo Vaccari, starring in several successful RAI TV-dramas directed by him. Their relationship ended with his death in a car accident in 1963.[2] In the mid-1970s Alfonsi semi-retired, making sporadic appearances only in 1988 (with the TV movie Una lepre con la faccia da bambina), in 1990 (in Gianni Amelio's Open Doors) and in 1997 (in Roberto Benigni's Life Is Beautiful).[2]

Alfonsi was appointed Grand Officer of the Italian Republic.[3]

Alfonsi died on 21 September 2022, at the age of 94.[4]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1950 A Dog's Life Friend of Franca Uncredited
1951 Brief Rapture
1957 Susana y yo Julia
1957 Manos sucias Pilar
1958 Hercules The Sybil
1959 The Law Giuseppina
1960 The Loves of Hercules Megara Uncredited
1960 Silver Spoon Set The Young Actress
1960 Morgan, the Pirate Dona Maria
1961 The Trojan Horse Cassandra
1962 A Man for Burning Francesca
1963 Noche de verano Carmen
1963 Black Sabbath Mary (segment "Il telefono")
1965 La violenza e l'amore Lucia
1967 The Strange Night Erika
1967 Face to Face Belle de Winton
1969 L'amore è come il sole Ursula
1969 Komm, süßer Tod Conny
1973 La padrina Costanza Cavallo
1990 Open Doors Marchesa Anna Pironti
1992 Trittico di Antonello Saveria
1997 Life Is Beautiful Guicciardini (final film role)

References

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  1. ^ Mondadori Portfolio. "Lydia Alfonsi And Vincenzo Messina As They Exchange Wedding Rings". Getty Images. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Enrico Lancia, Roberto Poppi. Dizionario del cinema italiano, Le Attrici. Gremese Editore, 2003. ISBN 888440214X.
  3. ^ "Targa per l'attrice Lydia Alfonsi". Il Tirreno. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  4. ^ "Addio a Lydia Alfonsi, l'ultima diva di Parma - Il ritratto". Gazzetta di Parma (in Italian). 21 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
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