ROME - An imposing but discreet villa, immersed in the greenery of Caracalla, 'blown' on a woolen thread in 1954 to Vittorio de Sica (also interested in buying it) paying ten million in cash at the time.
A dwelling, designed in the 1930s by architect Clemente Busiri Vici, transformed by Albertone into his own treasure trove of everyday life, successes, friends, passions and privacy (it was off limits to the press and cameras).
A place that can now be discovered for the first time by the public with 'Il Centenario - Alberto Sordi - 1920-2020', the large exhibition / portrait on the icon of our cinema, scheduled from September 16 to January 31, created in respect of all precautions anticovid.
A path that also includes two large tensile structures in front of the villa (built where the swimming pool was previously) and the Teatro dei Dioscuri, where "History of an Italian", "Travels in the world" and "The American myth" are welcomed.
A seamless journey through Sordi's career and life, among hundreds of family objects, pieces of art, scripts, photos (from sets to a double bond with his mother and sisters), letters, prizes, sketches, costumes and props, from a large part of the wardrobe of the Marchese del Grillo to the gowns of Doctor Tersilli, from the 'Pizzardone' uniform of Il Vigile to the Harley Davidson of An American in Rome.
"Precisely to respect the history of this house, which will soon become a museum, I tried not to alter the environments that remained intact after the actor's death, as he had wanted and lived them, making them dialogue with the exhibition" explains Alessandro Nicosia, curator of the exhibition with Vincenzo Mollica and Gloria Satta.
Among the first rooms is the Theater that Sordi had built for private performances or projections with a few friends (complete with projection booth), adorned with mythological representations made on 35 medallions by Andrea Spadini and a backdrop for the stage by Gino Severini .
The theater itself will be "permanently dedicated to the projections of Alberto Sordi's films - announced the mayor Virginia Raggi before visiting the exhibition - in order to have a constant point of contact between the city, the people. Deaf and the his work, which is precious to us, immortal and makes us reflect so much ".
Continuing along the journey, you pass by Sordi's gym, complete with a mechanical bull and exercise bike, to go up to the salons, which also host two de Chiricos, and in the view of the exhibition, the ingredients of Sordi's very deep bond with Rome, from the scarf from a fan to the mayor band for a day, for his 80th birthday.
We arrive at his studio, where all the prizes won are displayed;
to the bedroom, where there is also a kneeling chair and the white barbershop.
Outside, in the tensile structures, one immerses himself instead in the Deaf voice actor, conductor, actor, theater, radio and cinema, then also director, capable of becoming the symbol of Italians in their contradictions with his films.
Finally, we come into contact with the most secret Deaf: that of real loves (from Andreina Pagnani to the German actress Gisela Hahn) and presumed to be the long platonic bond with Silvana Mangano.
But also with his extensive and always silent activity as a benefactor, testified by the dozens of emotional letters of thanks he received.
The exhibition, whose initial opening scheduled for April was skipped due to the lockdown, was organized by COR Create Organize Realize and promoted by the Alberto Sordi Museum Foundation, with Roma Capitale and the Lazio Region, with the recognition of the MIBACT Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual, Special Superintendence of Rome Archeology Fine Arts Landscape, Archival and Bibliographic Superintendency of Lazio, with the patronage of SIAE, with the support of Luce Cinecittà, Acea, Banca Generali Private and with the collaboration of Rai Teche.