Italian singer-songwriter and pianist Antonello Venditti received Rome's top honour from the capital's mayor Roberto Gualtieri during a ceremony at city hall on Wednesday. The president of the city assemby Svetlana Celli welcomed Venditti as a "son of Rome", noting that this year marks the 40th anniversary of his classic song Notte prima degli esami , a pre-exam anthem in Italy. Celli also said that songs such as Roma Capoccia , Grazie Roma and many others "testify to Venditti's deep love for Rome, a city that he has always carried in his heart and in his music".
Gualtieri expressed his gratitude to Venditti who he hailed as an "extraordinary singer-songwriter and a true poet who, like very few, has been able to sing and tell the story of our city, in all its facets". "This is my home and I love it in all its forms" - said Venditti, dressed in a black suit and his trademark sunglasses - "my songs speak for me". During the ceremony, the musician performed Ho fatto un sogno which, among his many songs dedicated to the city, "is about our relationships with others".
Venditti said the song was written as an ode to the Italian capital and is for "those who love Rome and are not Roman". — Roberto Gualtieri (@gualtierieurope) November 13, 2024 Venditti, 75, became popular in the 1970s for the social themes addressed in his songs and he has sold more than 30 million albums over the course of his long career. He has a long association with fellow Rome singer Francesco De Gregori, wi.
