Lydia Alfonsi Explained

Lydia Alfonsi
Birth Name:Lidia Alfonsi
Birth Date:1928 4, df=yes
Birth Place:Parma, Kingdom of Italy
Death Place:Parma, Italy
Occupation:Actress
Yearsactive:1950–1997
Spouse:[1]

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

Life and career

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

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

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lydia Alfonsi And Vincenzo Messina As They Exchange Wedding Rings. Mondadori Portfolio. Getty Images. 22 September 2022.
  2. Book: Enrico Lancia, Roberto Poppi. Dizionario del cinema italiano, Le Attrici. Gremese Editore, 2003. 888440214X.
  3. News: Targa per l'attrice Lydia Alfonsi. 11 May 2014. Il Tirreno. 18 June 2012.
  4. Web site: Addio a Lydia Alfonsi, l'ultima diva di Parma - Il ritratto. Gazzetta di Parma. 21 September 2022. 22 September 2022. it.