The Municipal Council of Velletri resolved to install a commemorative plaque in honor of Renzo Giovampietroillustrious citizen and leading figure in the Italian theater and television scene, preparatory to the naming of the famous actor of the staircase that connects Piazza Garibaldi to Via Pia. The event will mark the centenary of his birth, which took place on 23 June 1924 and on that day there will be several events planned in memory of him.
The plaque will be placed on the staircase that connects Piazza Garibaldi to Via Pia, a symbolic place chosen to remember the commitment and artistic value of Giovampietro. The decision – we read in the resolution – reflects one of the primary objectives of the municipal administration: the cultural and social development of the territory, recognizing culture as a fundamental tool for individual and collective growth.
Renzo Giovampietro, born in Velletri in 1924 and passed away in Rome on 10 March 2006, attended and graduated from the National Academy of Dramatic Art. His career began after the war, working both in the theater and on Rai radio within the Prose Company of the Italian Radio, participating in numerous comedies and radio plays.
Luchino Visconti gave him the opportunity to join his theater company in 1945, making his debut in “Antigone”. The following year, Giovampietro was in Milan directed by Giorgio Strehler in “Pick-up” and in 1948 in “Harlequin servant of two masters”, followed by “Twelfth Night”.
His activity as a television actor was equally significant, with roles in productions such as “Napoleon on St. Helena”, “The Dreyfus Affair”, “Life of Cavour” and “Sandokan”. Even in the cinema his presence was discreet but notable. During his career, Giovampietro obtained numerous awards, including the Golden Mask and the Veretium Prize. Always proud of his Veliterni roots, Giovampietro brought the name of his hometown to a national scale.
The 23 June 2024, centenary day, a commemorative event will be organized with the participation of family members, colleagues, friends, scholars and university professors. The program includes readings of songs and works, projections of images and audio-video documents, celebrating the cultural legacy left by Giovampietro.
The initiative is part of a broader process of recovering local historical memory, aimed at promoting values such as solidarity, integration, friendship and dialogue, key elements of civil coexistence. The project is financially supported by the Municipality with a maximum budget of 4,000 euros.
The resolution, approved with unanimous votes, also provides for the preparation of the administrative documents necessary for the installation of the plaque and the organization of the event.
But the plaque will be just one of the events of the June 23: at 10 am the naming of the staircase will take place, in the presence of the Mayor Ascanio Cascella and the Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Culture Chiara Ercoli. At 10.30 it will be the turn of the unveiling of the epigraph in his memory, while at 11, at the Casa delle Culture e della Musica, in the Romina Trenta Auditorium, the event “Renzo Giovampietro 100 years” will be held, organized by the Arte Foundation and Culture City of Velletri, during which there will be various events, according to the program contained in the poster below.
