Outside the choir

The extraordinary life of Luciana Boccardi, great journalist, writer and great woman

She was the doyenne of fashion journalism on the international scene. Luciana Boccardi, the leading pen of our magazine Venezia made in Veneto, worked for years at the Venice Biennale, participating in the organization of the most important music and theater festivals. A scholar of fashion and costume, for decades she has been the leading fashion writer for Il Gazzettino.

Raised in a family of musicians, born in Venice on October 2, 1932, she was close to 90 years old but her condition suddenly worsened. Her husband, Virgilio Boccardi, editor-in-chief at Rai, had passed away three years ago. She leaves behind her son Emiliano.

Luciana began her journalistic career after being awarded the literary prize "Mentasti" given to her by George Simenon. She has collaborated with newspapers and periodicals, she has been guest of television shows, she has moderated conventions and debates, she has organized fashion shows, also in Piazza San Marco, and she has been the creator of successful reviews and festivals, in particular Pianeta Spose and FestivalMare.

With the publishing house Fazi had recently published the second novel Dentro la vita (Inside life) of a trilogy started with La signorina Crovato (Miss Crovato), her narrative debut published in 2021, which received great critical acclaim.

A woman with an extraordinary strength that was hidden behind beautiful, lively and curious eyes. Despite having known in her life all those who mattered, she always considered herself a journalist "outside the circle".

In 2019 she had received an award from the Order of Journalists for her 50 years of membership.

She passed away in her beloved Venice Lagoon, leaving a void in all the circles in which she distinguished herself. We will miss you Luciana, energetic, courageous woman, "lioness" of the Serenissima.

"If someone, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has a duty not to keep it to himself" Jacques-Ives Cousteau

 On the cover: Luciana interviewing Arrigo Cipriani for us (ph. Matteo Bertolin)