Farewell to Flavia Franzoni, Romano Prodi's wife and advisor

Farewell to Flavia Franzoni, Romano Prodi's wife and advisor

Flavia Franzoni, for Romano Prodi was not only a wife and mother of his children and grandmother of his six grandchildren, but also a very trusted, sometimes very critical, advisor.
A life spent 'Together', which it is no coincidence that they chose as the title for their biography as a couple.
Together until the last moment. She died at the age of 76, while traveling with her husband and some friends, including former minister Arturo Parisi, on a Franciscan path in Umbria. They were walking, last night they had slept in Gubbio and today they were heading towards Assisi. Flavia Prodi fell suddenly, perhaps due to an illness. She was in a rather inaccessible area and the mountain rescue team also intervened to recover her body during a violent storm.
Numerous and vain attempts to resuscitate her. Born in Reggio Emilia like her husband, she taught methods and techniques of social services at the University of Bologna. But over the years she has often seen herself at Prodi's side, both in official circumstances and in images of family life, such as the inevitable Sunday morning walk under the porticoes of Bologna to go to mass. Social Catholic, smiling and outgoing, her students nicknamed her 'Google' for her inexhaustible memory on the topics of her interest.

But never willing to put her ideas aside, even with her husband. When she was prime minister she pulled his ears, publicly, both on the pension reform and on the lack of female presence in his executive team. Professor Flavia, however, in the two periods in which Prodi was Prime Minister, from 1996 to 1999 and from 2006 to 2008, also became famous for her non-conformist and somewhat naïve attitudes: when her husband went to Palazzo Chigi His comfortable and somewhat cheap shoes horrified Roman living rooms.

It was not uncommon to meet her walking around the streets of the center of Bologna with shopping bags having a chat with whoever she met. And when the mothers of Plaza de Mayo arrived in Bologna she did not hesitate to receive them in her home in Bologna, which during the years of the Prodi Government had become one of the main centers of Italian politics. However, Flavia Franzoni has never allowed her public image, the prestige of her position and her profession to overshadow her image as grandmother, mother and wife.

They began dating when they were young, in Catholic Action, with Romano Prodi. They married on May 31, 1969, in a rite celebrated by Cardinal Camillo Ruini. Since then, every year, on the occasion of her anniversary, she has received a bouquet of red roses. Like those of hers that came to her as a gift, again from her husband, in Vienna, on New Year's Eve 2002, when Prodi spent her first 32 euros in this way. A crossroads in their life 'Together', also for Flavia Franzoni, was on 19 April 2013, when the centre-left nominated her husband for the presidency of the Republic. However, he was rejected by the famous 101 story. He was in Africa on behalf of the UN, while she remained in Bologna to manage, with smiling discretion, the media siege. Then, upon her return from Africa, she welcomed a husband who needed both a hug and a conversation with the person she trusted most in the world. The way things had gone they would have had more time to dedicate to their children, grandchildren and their interests. If things had gone differently, Italy would have had a cultured, empathetic first lady who loved being with people.

Deep condolences were expressed by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella and by the political world. “My deepest sympathy to Romano Prodi for the passing of his wife Flavia. A hug and thoughts to his family and all his loved ones”. The Prime Minister writes it, Giorgia Meloni, on social networks.

“We are all shocked by the sudden death of Flavia Franzoni. And in this moment of enormous pain we want to rally around Romano Prodi and their entire family with the great affection of myself and of the entire democratic community." Thus in a note the secretary of the Democratic Party Elly Schlein. "It's impossible - adds - summarize the intellectual depth, qualities and civil passion of Flavia Franzoni, always so attentive to social fragility and committed alongside the least fortunate, a great innovator of social policies. We will greatly miss her ability to analyze and her depth of thought, her always precious advice."

“Astonished to learn of Flavia's passing, I join Romano Prodi and his children in this moment of great pain. She was undoubtedly a special woman who will leave an immense void; I think in these hours of how Romano and Flavia were an exemplary united couple in all moments of their lives". Thus Pier Ferdinando Casini on the disappearance of Flavia Franzoni.

“These are days of profound sadness. Condolences to Romano Prodi, who today lost his beloved wife Flavia. We sympathize with his pain and that of his loved ones.". The deputy prime minister and minister wrote it on Twitter, Matteo Salvini.

“Having learned the news of the sudden passing of Mrs. Flavia Franzoni, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to President Romano Prodi and her family”. Thus the President of the Senate Ignatius LaRussa.