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Francesco Guccini (; born 14 June 1940) is an Italian singer-songwriter, actor, and writer. During the five decades of his music career he has recorded 16 studio albums and collections, and 6 live albums. He is also a writer, having published autobiographic and noir novels, and a comics writer. Guccini also worked as actor, soundtrack composer,
lexicographer Lexicography is the study of lexicons and the art of compiling dictionaries. It is divided into two separate academic disciplines: * Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionary, dictionaries. * The ...
and
dialectologist Dialectology (from Greek , ''dialektos'', "talk, dialect"; and , '' -logia'') is the scientific study of dialects: subsets of languages. Though in the 19th century a branch of historical linguistics, dialectology is often now considered a sub-fiel ...
. Guccini moved to Pàvana during World War II, then returned to
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
where he spent his teenage years and established his musical career. His debut album, '' Folk beat n. 1'', was released in 1967, but his first success was in 1972 with the album '' Radici''. He was harshly criticised after releasing '' Stanze di vita quotidiana'' and answered his critics with the song "L'avvelenata". His studio albums production slowed down in the nineties and 2000s, but his live performances continued being successful. His lyrics have been praised for their poetic and literary value and have been used in schools as an example of modern poetry. Guccini has gained the appreciation of critics and fans, who regard him as an iconic figure. He has received several awards for his works; an asteroid, a cactus species and a butterfly subspecies have been named after him. The main instrument in most of his songs is the acoustic guitar. A leftist, although not a
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
, Guccini dealt with political issues and more generally with the political climate of his time in some songs, such as "La locomotiva" or "Eskimo".


Origins

Guccini was born in 14 June 1940 in
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
, Italy. His father from
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
, Ferruccio Guccini, was a postal employee, and his mother from Emilia, Ester Prandi, was a housewife. While his father served in the Italian military during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Guccini lived with his grandparents in a small village in the
Apennine Mountains The Apennines or Apennine Mountains ( ; or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; or – a singular with plural meaning; )Latin ''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which would be segmented ''Apenn-inus'', often used with nouns s ...
in northern
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
called Pàvana, where he spent his childhood. His years spent in the somewhat archaic society of the mountains of
Central Italy Central Italy ( or ) is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), a first-level NUTS region with code ITI, and a European Parliament constituency. It has 11,704,312 inhabita ...
was to be a strong inspiration throughout his career, and it became one of the key recurring themes of his songs and books. When World War II had ended, Guccini moved back to his family in Modena. He studied at the Istituto Magistrale Carlo Sigonio, the same school
Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...
had attended, earning his high school diploma in 1958. Guccini spent his teenage years in
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
, as he later recounted in his second novel ''Vacca d'un Cane'' and in songs including "Piccola Città", which paints a bitter portrait of the city as "a strange enemy".


Youth and musical beginnings

Guccini's first job was as a teacher at a boarding school in
Pesaro Pesaro (; ) is a (municipality) in the Italy, Italian region of Marche, capital of the province of Pesaro and Urbino, on the Adriatic Sea. According to the 2011 census, its population was 95,011, making it the second most populous city in the ...
, but he was fired after a month and a half. He then worked as a journalist at the '' Gazzetta di Modena'' for two years. In April 1960, Guccini interviewed Domenico Modugno, who had just won two consecutive Sanremo Festivals. This inspired Guccini to write "L'antisociale", his first composition as a singer-songwriter. In 1958 Guccini was guitarist and vocalist in a group first called Hurricanes, then Snakers and finally Gatti. The group included Pier Farri (drums), who would later become Guccini's producer; Victor Sogliani (saxophone), future member of Equipe 84; and Franco Fini Storchi (guitar). Guccini wrote his first songs while in the Snakers, in a style inspired by
The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close-harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly and Phillip "Phil" Everly, the duo combined elements of rock and roll, country, ...
and Peppino di Capri. The group performed for two years, touring around Northern Italy and Switzerland. In 1961 the Guccini family moved to
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
, and Francesco enrolled at the
University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...
to study foreign languages. The next year he undertook mandatory military service, an experience he described as "substantially positive". When he returned to Bologna, Guccini was asked to join the band Equipe 84, but he declined to continue his studies. He later quit university just before taking his degree (he was conferred a degree honoris causa in
science education Science education is the teaching and learning of science to school children, college students, or adults within the general public. The field of science education includes work in science content, science process (the scientific method), some ...
in 2002). The band Cantacronache was an important influence in Guccini's artistic growth, as was
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
.


Debut (1967–1969)

Record Producer CGD commissioned Guccini to write a song for the 1967 Sanremo Festival, "Una storia d'amore", to be sung by Caterina Caselli and
Gigliola Cinquetti Gigliola Cinquetti (; born Giliola Cinquetti on 20 December 1947) is an Italian singer, songwriter and television presenter. Life and career Gigliola Cinquetti was born into a wealthy family in Verona, Italy. At the age of 16, she debuted at ...
. The song, though, was not selected for the event, and Guccini was embittered by the edits made by two lyricists engaged by CGD. Guccini made his debut as a singer-songwriter in March 1967, with the album Folk beat n. 1, which received little commercial success. Three of the songs recorded for the album had previously been successes for Nomadi and Equipe 84: "Noi non-ci saremo", "L'antisociale", and "
Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...
", the last of which was translated and sung in English by Equipe 84, as well as by Rod MacDonald in his 1994 album ''Man on the Ledge''. Another song from the album, "In morte di S.F.", later renamed "Canzone per un'amica", was recorded by Nomadi in 1968. From 1965 onward, Guccini spent 20 years teaching Italian at the off-campus
Dickinson College Dickinson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1773 as Carlisle Grammar School, Dickinson was chartered on September 9, 1783, ...
, in Bologna. In May 1967 Guccini made his first appearance in television, on ''Diamoci del tu'', hosted by Caterina Caselli and Giorgio Gaber singing "Auschwitz". He wrote several songs for Caselli and for Nomadi, who made his song "Dio è morto" become widely popular; it became one of his most famous songs, despite being censored by the RAI for
blasphemy Blasphemy refers to an insult that shows contempt, disrespect or lack of Reverence (emotion), reverence concerning a deity, an object considered sacred, or something considered Sanctity of life, inviolable. Some religions, especially Abrahamic o ...
. In 1968 Francesco Guccini translated
Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo comprising the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music acts of the 1960s. Their most famous recordings include three US number-one sing ...
's hit song "Mrs. Robinson" into Italian; it was first covered in this version by the Italian beat group and later was recorded by Bobby Solo on his LP Bobby Folk in 1970. In 1968 the 45 rpm record ''Un altro giorno è andato/Il bello'' was released; Guccini re-recorded the Side A song in an acoustic version for his 1970 album '' L'isola non-trovata''. His first concert was held the same year at the La Cittadella Cultural Centre in
Assisi Assisi (, also ; ; from ; Central Italian: ''Ascesi'') is a town and comune of Italy in the Province of Perugia in the Umbria region, on the western flank of Monte Subasio. It is generally regarded as the birthplace of the Latin poet Prope ...
.


1970s

In 1970 Guccini released his second album, '' Due anni dopo'', recorded in the autumn of 1969. The main themes of the album are the passage of time and the analysis of everyday life in the context of bourgeois hypocrisy, with a noticeable influence from French music and from Leopardi's poetic style. After this album Guccini started his 10-year-long collaboration with folksinger Deborah Kooperman, who played
fingerstyle guitar Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of guitar picking, playing the guitar or bass guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking (plucking individual notes with ...
on it, a style mostly unknown in Italy at the time. Eleven months after ''Due anni dopo'', the album '' L'isola non trovata'' was released. The title was a literary reference to Guido Gozzano, and the song "La collina" contained a reference to
J. D. Salinger Jerome David Salinger ( ; January 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010) was an American author best known for his 1951 novel '' The Catcher in the Rye''. Salinger published several short stories in '' Story'' magazine in 1940, before serving in World Wa ...
. Guccini's fame began to spread beyond Bologna, partly thanks to the appearance in the TV show ''Speciale tre milioni'', where he sang some of his songs and befriended Claudio Baglioni. In 1971 he married his long-time girlfriend Roberta Baccilieri, who was pictured on the back cover of his next album. The turning point in Guccini's career was in 1972 thanks to the album '' Radici'' (roots), about the perpetual search for one's origins. This was also conveyed by the image on the front cover of the album, portraying Guccini's grandparents and their siblings next to their old mountain home. ''Radici'' contains some of his most renowned and popular songs, such as "Incontro", "Piccola Città", "Il vecchio e il bambino", "La Canzone della bambina portoghese", "Canzone dei dodici mesi", and "La locomotiva", based on a real event and dealing with themes of equality, social justice and freedom, with a style similar to the anarchic music of the end of the 19th century. In the same year Guccini brought Claudio Lolli, a young singer-songwriter, to his record label, EMI Italiana. He later wrote two songs with him, "Keaton" and "Ballando con una sconosciuta". In 1973 Guccini released ''
Opera buffa Opera buffa (, "comic opera"; : ''opere buffe'') is a genre of opera. It was first used as an informal description of Italian comic operas variously classified by their authors as ''commedia in musica'', ''commedia per musica'', ''dramma bernesc ...
'', a light-hearted and playful album, which showed his skills as an ironic, theatrical and cultured
cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
artist. Guccini was perplexed by the release of the disc, especially because of its arrangements and because it was recorded live (with overdubs made in a recording studio). One year later '' Stanze di vita quotidiana'' was released, with a mixed reception by fans and critics. It included six long and melancholic songs, a mirror of the crisis Guccini faced, worsened by constant disagreements with his producer Pier Farri. Guccini received harsh criticism, including a slating by the critic Riccardo Bertoncelli, who said the singer songwriter was "a finished artist, who has nothing else to say". Guccini answered with the song "L'avvelenata", a few years later. Guccini had his first commercial success in 1976, with '' Via Paolo Fabbri 43'', which was the sixth best-selling album of the year. It was named after the address of the house in
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
where he lived. He sang with a more mature and determined voice, and the musical structure was more complex than in his earlier works. The album contained "L'avvelenata", a bitter and colourful reply to the criticism he received for ''Stanze di vita quotidiana'', which cited one of his critics, Riccardo Bertoncelli. Later Guccini was reluctant in performing the song during concerts, saying it was obsolete. The title track was an abstract description of Guccini's life in
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
, which referenced Borges and Barthes; it also mentioned the "three heroines of Italian song", Alice, Marinella and Lilly, three women from songs by Italian singer-songwriters De Gregori, De André and Venditti. Other notable tracks were "Canzone quasi d'Amore", characterised by existential poetry, and "Il pensionato", about an old neighbour of Guccini, focusing on the sad psychological situation of some old people. Guccini's next album, '' Amerigo'' was released in 1978. The most popular song was "Eskimo", but Guccini claimed the highest point was the title track, a ballad about an emigrant uncle of his. In 1977 the weekly magazine ''Grand Hotel'' featured Guccini on the cover titled "The father every teenager would have liked to have". Guccini did not endorse the article, which was based on an interview he did not know would be published, and commented: "I cannot understand how they chose that title, I write songs for an audience of people in their thirties, I do not see how an audience of sixteen year olds fresh out of school could relate with the things I say." In the same year, Guccini separated from his wife Roberta (the song "Eskimo" is about this event), and started cohabitating with Angela. In 1978 they had a daughter, Teresa, to whom the songs "Culodritto" and "E un giorno..." are dedicated. In 1979 the live album ''Album concerto'', recorded in a concert with Nomadi, was released. It was peculiar because the songs were performed in duet with Augusto Daolio, and because it included previously unreleased songs: "Dio è morto", "Noi", and "Per fare un uomo".


1980s

The first album released by Guccini in the eighties was ''
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...
'', which was characterised by the description of cities with a symbolic value:
Byzantium Byzantium () or Byzantion () was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name ''Byzantion'' and its Latinization ''Byzantium'' continued to be used as a n ...
, Venice,
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
and
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
. Their histories mingle with the distress caused by life in the city and with symbolic references. The album had richer arrangements, with saxophones, bass guitars, drums,
clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...
s, flutes, and zuffolo. Byzantium is described by Guccini as a fascinating yet oppressive city at the crossroads of two continents and two eras. The song is set at the time of Emperor
Justinian I Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565. His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...
(483–565), and there are many historical references to that period, that have been explained by Guccini himself. The narrator, Filemazio, who some critics believe to be a fictionalized Guccini, senses the decadence of his civilization and the coming of the end. The song was praised by critic Paolo Jachia, who described it as "moving and dreamlike". In 1981 Guccini was the co-author, along with Giorgio Gaber, Sandro Luporini and Gian Piero Alloisio, of the musical ''Gli ultimi viaggi di Gulliver''. The eponymous song "Gulliver" was then included in Guccini's next album, '' Guccini'', which dealt with the same themes found in ''
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...
''. Songs in the album include "Shomèr ma mi llailah?" ("Watchman, what of the night?", from ), "Autogrill", about a love only dreamt of, and "Inutile", which narrates a day two lovers spent in
Rimini Rimini ( , ; or ; ) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. Sprawling along the Adriatic Sea, Rimini is situated at a strategically-important north-south passage along the coast at the southern tip of the Po Valley. It is ...
. The subsequent tour was the first in which Guccini performed with a
backing band A backup band or backing band is a Band (music), musical ensemble that typically Accompaniment, accompanies a single artist who is the featured performer. The situation may be a live performance or in a Studio recording, recording session, and the ...
; previously, Guccini used to perform solo, or with just one or two guitarists. In 1984 the live album ''Fra la via Emilia e il West'' was released. It included live versions of many of his popular songs, recorded mainly at a concert held in Piazza Maggiore in
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
, in which several guests performed alongside Guccini: Giorgio Gaber,
Paolo Conte Paolo Conte (; born 6 January 1937) is an Italian singer, pianist, songwriter and lawyer, known for his distinctly grainy, resonant voice. His compositions fuse Italian and Mediterranean sounds with jazz, boogie and elements of the French and ...
, I Nomadi, Roberto Vecchioni, and Equipe 84. In 1987 the album '' Signora Bovary'' was released. Several of the songs portray people from Guccini's life: "Van Loon" is his father, "Culodritto" is his daughter Teresa, and "Signora Bovary" is himself. Other songs include "Keaton", written with his friend Claudio Lolli, and "Scirocco", an award-winning song about an episode in the life of the poet Adriano Spatola, a friend of Guccini. In 1988 the singer-songwriter released a live album, '' ...quasi come Dumas...'', which included some of his songs from the Sixties, in a rearranged version. The title is a homage to '' Twenty Years After'', the novel by
Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas , was a French novelist and playwright. His works have been translated into many languages and he is one of the mos ...
.


1990s

In 1990 Guccini released '' Quello che non...'', which continued in the style of '' Signora Bovary''. Songs included in the album are "Quello che non" and "La canzone delle domande consuete", which received the Club Tenco best song of the year award. Three years later, he released '' Parnassius Guccinii'' referencing a subspecies of butterfly which was named in his honour. The song "Farewell", included in the album, is a homage to
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
's " Farewell, Angelina", featuring its instrumental introduction and citing a verse ("The triangle tingles, and the trumpet plays slow"). The literary critic Paolo Jachia commented: "Guccini's enormous poetic and cultural effort has been opening the best tradition of Italian poetry to Dylan-esque ballads." Other songs included in the album are "Canzone per Silvia", dedicated to Silvia Baraldini, and "Acque", composed for Tiziano Sclavi's movie ''
Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...
''. It was three years until he released his next album, '' D'amore di morte e di altre sciocchezze'', which achieved significant commercial success. Tracks included are "Cirano", inspired by the play ''
Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th ce ...
''; "Quattro stracci", about the ending of the relationship with Angela (the same woman to whom ''Farewell'' was dedicated); "Stelle" about the feelings of powerlessness men feel when looking at the starry night sky; "Vorrei", dedicated to his new partner, Raffaella Zuccari, and "I Fichi", a farcical song.


2000s

'' Stagioni'' was Guccini's first album of the 2000s. The key theme is the passage of time and the different temporal cycles connected to it. Songs included are "Autunno", "Ho ancora la forza" (with Ligabue), "Don Chisciotte", in which Guccini takes the role of
Don Quixote , the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...
, and his guitarist that of
Sancho Panza Sancho Panza (; ) is a fictional character in the novel ''Don Quixote'' written by Spain, Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in 1605. Sancho acts as squire to Don Quixote and provides comments throughout the novel, ...
), and "Addio", a song akin to "L'avvelenata". The album and its tour were successful, with the unexpected presence of many young people among the audience, establishing Guccini as an iconic artist for three generations. A special limited edition vinyl version of ''Stagioni'' was also released. In 2004 Guccini released '' Ritratti''. Some of the songs contained in the album are imagined dialogues with historical figures, such as
Odysseus In Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology, Odysseus ( ; , ), also known by the Latin variant Ulysses ( , ; ), is a legendary Greeks, Greek king of Homeric Ithaca, Ithaca and the hero of Homer's Epic poetry, epic poem, the ''Odyssey''. Od ...
,
Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
and
Che Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...
. The first track of the album, "Odysseus", is on the theme of travel, and contains references to the
Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...
, to
Dante Dante Alighieri (; most likely baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri; – September 14, 1321), widely known mononymously as Dante, was an Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer, and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called ...
(Canto 26 of Inferno), and to a poem by Foscolo. Another song in the album, "Piazza Alimonda", is about the death of Carlo Giuliani during the demonstrations at the G8 summit in Genoa. ''Ritratti'' received critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching the number one spot in the
FIMI The Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI) or the Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy. It was established in 1992, when ...
Albums Chart, holding it for two weeks, and remaining in the chart for eighteen weeks. In the same year, lyrics from "Canzone per Piero" were included in a final upper secondary school exam"; Guccini claimed he was "embarrassed and glad" about being alongside
Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...
and
Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...
. In 2005 the live double-album ''Anfiteatro Live'', recorded in the
amphitheatre An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meani ...
in
Cagliari Cagliari (, , ; ; ; Latin: ''Caralis'') is an Comune, Italian municipality and the capital and largest city of the island of Sardinia, an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy. It has about 146,62 ...
, was released; it also included a DVD of the concert. ''Anfiteatro Live'' was a commercial success, holding the number one spot in the FIMI Chart for one month, and remaining in the chart for twenty-two weeks. In 2006 Guccini received one vote in the 2006 Italian presidential election. The same year, the triple-album ''The Platinum Collection'', containing 47 songs, was released as a celebration of his fortieth year as a musical artist. In October Guccini's official biography, ''Portavo allora un Eskimo innocente'' by Massimo Cotto, was published. On 21 April 2008, an article on
La Stampa (English: "The Press") is an Italian daily newspaper published in Turin with an average circulation of 87,143 copies in May 2023. Distributed in Italy and other European nations, it is one of the oldest newspapers in Italy. Until the late 1970 ...
affirmed that Guccini had stopped smoking, and that this had caused him to gain weight and lose his inspiration. He denied it on 18 May 2008, in TV show ''Che tempo che fa''. In 2010 the
Mondadori Arnoldo Mondadori Editore () is the biggest publishing company in Italy. History The company was founded in 1907 in Ostiglia by 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori who began his publishing career with the publication of the magazine ''Luce!''. In 19 ...
published ''Non so che viso avesse'', a book which contains a Guccini autobiography and, in the second part of the book, a critical essay edited by Alberto Bertoni.
Luciano Ligabue Luciano Riccardo Ligabue (born 13 March 1960), commonly known as Ligabue or Liga, is an Italian singer-songwriter, film director, and writer. Biography Ligabue was born in Correggio, in the province of Reggio Emilia (Emilia-Romagna in norther ...
, friend and colleague of Guccini, entitled him a song, "Caro il mio Francesco" on his album '' Arrivederci, mostro!''. On 28 September 2010 the collection ''Storia di altre storie'' was released, with songs selected by Guccini himself. In the same year the
botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...
Davide Donati named a new species of Mexican cactus, the Corynopuntia guccinii, after him. In the article about the discovery on the botanical magazine ''Piante Grasse'', Donati explained that he discovered the unknown plant whilst listening to Guccini's "Incontro", adding, "I could not have named it after anyone else." On 25 April 2011, Guccini married for the second time, with Raffaella Zuccari, who had been his partner in the last fifteen years.


Style

Guccini's lyrical and poetic style has been praised by many, including famous authors and singer-songwriters. Fellow singer-songwriter Roberto Vecchioni said about Guccini: "he's not a singer of stories, he's a singer of thoughts and a singer of doubts", while Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo called him a "voice of truth". Throughout his lengthy career, some defining characteristics stand out in his work, such as the use of different registers, the literary references to several writers, and the use of a variety of themes to reach moral conclusions. His lyrics frequently have a metaphysical tone and existential motifs, and are often centered around portrayals of people and events. Guccini's voice is baritonal, with a noticeable rhotacism. Most of his songs, especially early in his career, are
folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...
. Guccini has been seen as a sociopolitical chronicler and some of his songs express his opinion about a political issue. In "La primavera di Praga", he expressed criticism of the Sovietic occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968 , and "Piccola storia ignobile" supported the Italian abortion law. "Canzone per Silvia" was dedicated to Silvia Baraldini, and both "Canzone per il Che" and "Stagioni" were dedicated to
Che Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...
. "Piazza Alimonda" was about the riots at the
G8 summit The Group of Eight (G8) was an intergovernmental political forum from 1997 to 2014, formed by incorporating Russia into the G7. The G8 became the G7 again after Russia was expelled in 2014 after the Russian annexation of Crimea. The forum ...
in
Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
and "La locomotiva" was about the anarchic Pietro Rigosi running a locomotive at full steam towards death. Guccini defines himself an anarchic, and he expressed his thoughts about the relation between music and politics in his song "L'avvelenata"; "I have never said that with songs you can make revolutions, nor that you can make poetry" ("''però non ho mai detto che a canzoni si fan rivoluzioni, si possa far poesia''"'').''


Books

In his career as a writer, Guccini published several novels and essays, experimenting with different genres. His first novel, '' Cròniche Epafàniche'', was published by Feltrinelli in 1989, and was one of his most successful works. Although it is not explicitly an autobiography, it can be considered the first of three autobiographical books. It describes past events of Pàvana, the town where he spent his childhood. Guccini recounts stories he heard from elderly people living on the Tuscan
Apennines The Apennines or Apennine Mountains ( ; or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; or – a singular with plural meaning; )Latin ''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which would be segmented ''Apenn-inus'', often used with nouns s ...
; critics praised the "philological accuracy" of the book.
His next two novels, '' Vacca d'un cane'' and '' Cittanòva blues'' were also bestsellers, and covered different periods of his life. ''Vacca d'un cane'' depicts a teenage Guccini in
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
, as he realizes that the city's provincialism will be an obstacle to his intellectual growth, while ''Cittanòva Blues'' the last part of his trio of autobiographical books, tells of his time in
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
, seen as a "little Paris". Guccini also collaborated with
Loriano Macchiavelli Loriano Macchiavelli (born March 12, 1934) is an Italian mystery writer and playwright. Macchiavelli was born in Vergato, near Bologna. He worked also a theatre impresario, actor and playwright. As a writer, his most famous character is Sarti An ...
for a series of Noir books, and published a Dictionary of the dialect of Pàvana which showed his ability as
dialectologist Dialectology (from Greek , ''dialektos'', "talk, dialect"; and , '' -logia'') is the scientific study of dialects: subsets of languages. Though in the 19th century a branch of historical linguistics, dialectology is often now considered a sub-fiel ...
and translator. Guccini has also worked as a comics writer. He is a lover of comics, and some of his songs reference them. He's been author and script writer of comics, such as ''Vita e morte del brigante Bobini detto "Gnicche"'', illustrated by Francesco Rubino, ''Lo sconosciuto'', illustrated by
Magnus Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
, and ''Cronache dello spazio profondo'', drawn by his friend Bonvi.


Cinema

Guccini's first experience as actor was in the 1976 movie ''Fantasia, ma non troppo, per violino'', directed by Gianfranco Mingozzi, in which he played Giulio Cesare Croce, a poet who narrates the history of
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
. He then appeared in ''I giorni cantati'', a 1979 movie directed by Paolo Pietrangeli, which featured two of Guccini's songs in its soundtrack, "Eskimo" and "Canzone di notte n°2"; ''Musica per vecchi animali'', a 1989 movie directed by Umberto Angelucci and Stefano Benni; '' Radiofreccia'', the 1998 directorial debut of singer-songwriter
Luciano Ligabue Luciano Riccardo Ligabue (born 13 March 1960), commonly known as Ligabue or Liga, is an Italian singer-songwriter, film director, and writer. Biography Ligabue was born in Correggio, in the province of Reggio Emilia (Emilia-Romagna in norther ...
; ''Ormai è fatta'', the 1999 movie directed by Enzo Monteleone. In the 2000s he acted in three movies directed by Leonardo Pieraccioni, ''Ti amo in tutte le lingue del mondo'' (2005), ''Una moglie bellissima'' (2007) and ''Io & Marilyn'' (2009). Guccini wrote the soundtrack of the 1977 movie ''
Nenè ''Nenè'' is a 1977 Italian drama film directed by Salvatore Samperi. The film is a historical drama, set in post-war Italy in 1948 during the first free elections after the war. It tells of a romance and a coming-of-age amid a difficult family ...
'', directed by Salvatore Samperi, and his song "Acque" featured in the soundtrack of ''
Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...
'', the 1992 movie directed by Giancarlo Soldi.


Awards

Awards, accolades and recognitions received by Guccini: * In 1992 he received the Librex Montale Award "Poetry for Music", for the song "Canzone delle domande consuete". * In 1992, new subspecies of
butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...
on the Tuscan-Emilian
Apennines The Apennines or Apennine Mountains ( ; or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; or – a singular with plural meaning; )Latin ''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which would be segmented ''Apenn-inus'', often used with nouns s ...
, was named '' Parnassius mnemosyne guccinii'' in his honor. * In 1997 Luciano Tesi and Gabriele Cattani discovered an asteroid, naming it 39748 Guccini. * In 2001 his story "La Cena" was included in the anthology "Racconti italiani del Novecento" (I Meridiani –
Mondadori Arnoldo Mondadori Editore () is the biggest publishing company in Italy. History The company was founded in 1907 in Ostiglia by 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori who began his publishing career with the publication of the magazine ''Luce!''. In 19 ...
). * In 2002 the universities of
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
, Modena and Reggio Emilia awarded him an honorary degree in Science of Education. * In 2003 the ''
comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' (municipality) of Carpi celebrated Guccini's fortieth year of career dedicating him the show "Stagioni di vita quotidiana". * In 2004
Carlo Azeglio Ciampi Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (; 9 December 1920 – 16 September 2016) was an Italian politician, statesman and banker who was the President of Italy from 1999 to 2006 and the Prime Minister of Italy from 1993 to 1994. A World War II veteran, C ...
awarded him the title of Officer of the
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...
. * In 2004 he received the Targa Ferré, the award named after
Léo Ferré Léo Ferré (; 24 August 1916 – 14 July 1993) was a Monégasque poet and composer, and a dynamic and controversial live performer. He released some forty albums over this period, composing the music and the majority of the lyrics. He released ...
. * In 2005 he received the award "Giuseppe Giacosa – Parole per la musica". * In 2007, in
Catanzaro Catanzaro (; or ; ), also known as the "City of the two Seas" (), is an Italian city of 86,183 inhabitants (2020), the capital of the Calabria region and of its province and the second most populated comune of the region, behind Reggio Calabr ...
, he was awarded the "Riccio d'argento" for Best Singer-Songwriter Live Album. * In 2008, in Carpi, he received the Arturo Loria award for his book of short stories ''Icaro''. * In 2010 the
botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...
Davide Donati discovered a new species of cactus, naming it '' Corynopuntia guccinii''. * In 2012 he was awarded with an honorary degree by the American University of Rome. From the Club Tenco: * 1975 – Premio Tenco, career award along with Fausto Amodei, Umberto Bindi, Fabrizio De André,
Vinicius de Moraes Marcus Vinícius da Cruz e Mello Moraes (19 October 1913 – 9 July 1980), better known as Vinícius de Moraes () and nicknamed "O Poetinha" ("The Little Poet"), was a Brazilian poet, diplomat, lyricist, essayist, musician, singer, and playwrig ...
, Enzo Jannacci. * 1987 –
Targa Tenco The Targa Tenco ("Tenco Plaque") is a prize awarded annually by the Club Tenco. Founded in 1984, it has a large jury of 200 journalists and critics awarding the best works of the year.Cantore, Lalla (1990). "Club Tenco". Castaldo, Gino (edited by) ...
for the song "Scirocco". * 1990 – Targa Tenco for the song "La canzone delle domande consuete". * 1994 – Targa Tenco for the album '' Parnassius Guccinii''. * 2000 – Targa Tenco for the song "Ho ancora la forza". Awards won in collaboration with
Loriano Macchiavelli Loriano Macchiavelli (born March 12, 1934) is an Italian mystery writer and playwright. Macchiavelli was born in Vergato, near Bologna. He worked also a theatre impresario, actor and playwright. As a writer, his most famous character is Sarti An ...
: * In 1997 Guccini and Macchiavelli received the ''Alassio Literary Award, Un libro per l'Europa'', for the book ''Macaronì: romanzo di santi e delinquenti''. * In 1998 Guccini and Macchiavelli won the 4th annual "Police Film Festival" in Bologna for the book ''Macaronì: romanzo di santi e delinquenti''. * In 2007 Guccini and Macchiavelli won an award at the "Serravalle Noir 2007" for their novel ''Tango e gli altri – romanzo di una raffica, anzi tre''.


Discography

* 1967 – '' Folk beat n. 1'' * 1970 – '' Due anni dopo'' * 1970 – '' L'isola non-trovata'' * 1972 – '' Radici'' * 1973 – ''Opera buffa'' * 1974 – '' Stanze di vita quotidiana'' * 1976 – '' Via Paolo Fabbri 43'' * 1978 – '' Amerigo'' * 1979 – ''Album concerto'' (live with Nomadi) * 1981 – ''
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...
'' * 1983 – '' Guccini'' * 1984 – ''Fra la via Emilia e il West'' (live) * 1987 – '' Signora Bovary'' * 1988 – ''...quasi come Dumas...'' (live) * 1990 – '' Quello che non...'' * 1993 – '' Parnassius Guccinii'' * 1996 – '' D'amore di morte e di altre sciocchezze'' * 1998 – ''Guccini Live Collection'' (live) * 2000 – '' Stagioni'' * 2001 – ''Francesco Guccini Live @ RTSI'' (live) * 2004 – '' Ritratti'' * 2005 – ''Anfiteatro Live'' (live) * 2006 – ''The Platinum Collection'' * 2010 – ''Storia di altre storie'' * 2012 – ''L'ultima Thule'' * 2015 – ''Se io avessi previsto tutto questo... La strada, gli amici, le canzoni'' * 2017 – ''L'ostaria delle dame'' * 2019 – ''Note di viaggio''


Bibliography

* ''Cròniche epafàniche'' (1991) * ''Al Fatâz di Zardén Margarétta'' (1992) * ''Vacca d'un cane'' (1993) * ''Storie d'inverno'' (1994, with Giorgio Celli and Valerio Manfredi) * ''Novecento e Novecento'' (1995) * ''Le parole del mugnaio a Pàvana e nella montagna fra Bologna e Pistoia'' (1995) * ''Macaronì'' (1998, with
Loriano Macchiavelli Loriano Macchiavelli (born March 12, 1934) is an Italian mystery writer and playwright. Macchiavelli was born in Vergato, near Bologna. He worked also a theatre impresario, actor and playwright. As a writer, his most famous character is Sarti An ...
) * ''Dizionario del dialetto di Pàvana'' * ''Un disco dei Platters'' (1999, with Loriano Macchiavelli) * ''Questo sangue che impasta la terra'' (2001, with Loriano Macchiavelli) * ''Storia di altre storie'' (2001, with
Vincenzo Cerami Vincenzo Cerami (2 November 1940 – 17 July 2013) was an Italian screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwritin ...
) * ''Lo spirito e altri briganti'' (2002, with Loriano Macchiavelli) * ''Cittanòva blues'' (2003) * ''La legge del bar e altre comiche'' (2005) * ''L'uomo che reggeva il cielo'' (2005) * ''Tango e gli altri, romanzo di una raffica anzi tre'' (2007, with Loriano Macchiavelli) * ''Icaro'' (2008) * ''Non so che viso avesse'' (2008) * ''Malastagione'' (2011, with Loriano Macchiavelli)


Comics

* ''Storie dello spazio profondo'' (1975, with
Bonvi Bonvi, pen name of Franco Bonvicini (31 March 1941 – 10 December 1995) was an Italian comic book artist, creator of the comic strips ''Sturmtruppen'' and ''Nick Carter (comics), Nick Carter''. Biography Bonvicini was born either in Parma or in ...
) * ''Poche ore all'alba'' (1975, with
Magnus Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
) * ''Vita e morte del brigante Bobino detto Gnicche'' (1980, with Francesco Rubino) * ''Barbùn vs. Realtà'' (1981, with Filippo Scozzari) * ''Gerry Pompa'' (1983, with Massimo Cavezzali)


Filmography

* ''Bologna. Fantasia, ma non-troppo, per violino'' (1976, actor) * ''Nenè'' (1977, soundtrack) * ''I giorni cantati'' (1979, actor as himself and soundtrack) * ''Le lunghe ombre'' (1987, actor) * ''Musica per vecchi animali'' (1989, actor) * ''
Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...
'' (1992, soundtrack) * '' Radiofreccia'' (1998, actor) * ''Ormai è fatta'' (1999, actor) * ''Il segreto del successo'' (1999, actor as himself) * '' I Love You in Every Language in the World'' (2006, actor) * '' A Beautiful Wife'' (2007, actor) * '' Me and Marilyn'' (2009, actor)


References


External links


Official Site
– Official site, including touring schedule
Unofficial Site
with english translations of lyrics
Unofficial Site
with news and lyrics * {{DEFAULTSORT:Guccini, Francesco 1940 births Living people Musicians from Modena 20th-century Italian novelists 20th-century Italian male writers 21st-century Italian novelists Italian male singer-songwriters 20th-century Italian singer-songwriters 21st-century Italian singer-songwriters 21st-century Italian male writers Singers from Bologna People of Tuscan descent