Wake for Italy's 'king of presenters' opens to the public

The wake for presenter Pippo Baudo, an icon of Italian TV who passed away last Saturday (16), aged 89, at the Teatro delle Vittorie, in Rome, was opened to the public on Monday morning (18).

The tribute is organized by the management of public broadcaster RAI, in agreement with Baudo's family, and began around 10 am (local time). The theater will be open to the public until 8 pm and will receive fans between 9 am and 12 pm next Tuesday (19).

So far, several Italian celebrities have visited the venue, including actress Mara Venier and singer Katia Ricciarelli, who were the first to arrive, arm in arm, at the farewell ceremony and embraced general director Roberto Sergio.

TV presenter Renzo Arbore, Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, singer Eros Ramazzotti, actors Lino Banfi and Max Giusti, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, lawyer Giorgio Assumma, journalist Gigi Marzullo and actress Gloria Guida also came to say goodbye to Pippo.

With a red curtain in the background, the coffin lies in the center of the studio where the presenter produced his most important programs and is surrounded by red roses. A TV screen displays images from Pippo's career, which are also projected onto the theater's entrance.

"I think there are so many extraordinary people. We just saw Mara, who came to greet us. Carlo Conti will arrive after her. There's Rosario Fiorello, there's Renzo Arbore, but television isn't over yet. Pippo is with us, so everyone will be inspired by him, including, I think, young De Martino, who is an extraordinary artist," said Sergio, along with public service advisor Simona Agnes.

Baudo won the public's affection with the music programs "Settevoci" (1966-70) and "Canzonissima" (1972-73), both on RAI, and became famous for hosting 13 editions of the Sanremo Festival (1968, 1984-85, 1987, 1992-96, 2002-03 and 2007-08).

Throughout his career, he also presented numerous variety shows on TV, a career crowned in 2021 with the title of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, the country's highest honor.

In one of the editions of Sanremo, in 1993, the Italian presenter introduced the singer Laura Pausini to the general public, who always considered him a "second father".

"He always gave me a lot of advice. He is the man who changed my life. He gave me and my family an opportunity, a dream," Pausini declared, upon arriving at the wake, alongside Paola Cortellesi and Riccardo Milani, with a bouquet of white roses in hand.

"I have so many beautiful memories of him," she added, her voice breaking. Moments earlier, Giorgia and Gianni Morandi had walked in hand in hand, visibly moved.