Florence celebrates Tognazzi with Semplicemente Ugo

Appointment on 24 September at Villa Bardini with Ricky and Gianmarco Tognazzi for a big party to mark the centenary of the great actor's birth

A meeting in the sign of Ugo Tognazzi that merges culture, cinema, cuisine and memories in the setting of the city of Florence, connecting two Houses of Memory that are closely linked to the world of taste. The event Semplicemente Ugo. Florence, cuisine, films, zingarate, from Casa Artusi to Casa Tognazzi. The Italian network of Houses of Memory. A party to mark the centenary of Ugo Tognazzi's birth, promoted by the National Association of Memory Houses.

The event will also feature Ricky and Gianmarco Tognazzi. "The scent of a good ragù would also have been used as aftershave," said the great Ugo Tognazzi to explain the intensity of his true passion: cooking," recalls the President of the Region of Tuscany, Eugenio Giani. "Citing this famous phrase of his, I underline how happy I was with the idea of celebrating the centenary of the birth of one of the actors who symbolised the Italian scene by combining cinema and cooking. Beyond his greatness, his innate talent, his natural comedy and elegance, Ugo Tognazzi for us Tuscans is and will always be indissolubly linked to the masterpiece of the Amici Miei trilogy. The character of Count Mascetti," Giani concludes, "that he masterfully played has entered everyone's memory and jargon, making us love him dispassionately for 50 years.

Ugo Tognazzi al Bagno Silvio nel 1985 con G. Mercatali

"Florence has a special bond with Ugo Tognazzi," says the Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella, "a great director and extraordinary actor with a strong passion for cooking, through which he expressed himself. We Florentines have 'Amici miei' in our hearts; that film with its unforgettable characters is part of us and I am delighted that the city is hosting this event for the centenary of the birth of one of the protagonists of the golden age of Italian comedy".

"This is why we are happy to take part in an event where everything starts from the kitchen, one of Ugo's great passions that he always carried on with all the genius and creativity he put into everything he tried his hand at. And to do so in Florence, a city that, together with other places in Tuscany, was the setting for some of his greatest cinematographic successes,' add Ricky and Gianmarco Tognazzi.

Philippe Noiret, Ugo Tognazzi e Mario Monicelli, in ‘La Nazione’ in Florence.1982. Ph New Press Photo

Two volumes will also be presented on the occasion: Ugo. La vita, gli amori e gli scherzi di un papà di salvataggio by Ricky, Gianmarco, Thomas and Maria Sole Tognazzi and A tavola con i Grandi. Recipes and curiosities of illustrious Italian personalities by Marco Capaccioli and Adriano Rigoli. During the day, the Mariette of Casa Artusi will prepare their fresh pasta and it will be possible to taste the "Panettone Marietta" prepared according to recipe no. 604 of "La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiar bene" by Artusi.

At 9.15 p.m. there will instead be the screening of two films in the presence of Ricky and Gianmarco Tognazzi. The first is the documentary on Ugo Tognazzi La voglia matta di vivere, written and directed by Ricky Tognazzi: a tribute to a great actor, but above all to a man, with his weaknesses and his strength, through interviews, intimate and affectionate stories, and the images of the family's super8 films. Followed by Francesco Conforti's docufilm L'ultima Zingarata, a homage to Amici miei 1 and 2.

Free entrance with compulsory booking on www.villabardini.it