Raffaella Carrà, Italian TV Icon, Dies at 78

Raffaella Carrà, the iconic Italian television personality, died on July 5, 2021, at age 78 after a sudden illness. Born Raffaella Maria Roberta Pelloni on June 18, 1943, in Bologna, her stage name was suggested by director Dante Guardamagna, combining her first name with that of painter Raphael and adding the surname Carrà in homage to futurist painter Carlo Carrà. She debuted on TV in 1961 with "Tempo di danza" alongside Lelio Luttazzi, and gained widespread fame from 1970 on "Canzonissima." Over her career, she sold over 60 million records. In 2020, The Guardian called her "the cultural icon who taught Europe the joys of sex." She also acted in films such as Mario Monicelli's "I compagni" and Mark Robson's "The Von Ryan's Express" (1965) with Frank Sinatra. In 2017, artist Francesco Vezzoli dedicated a chapter of his exhibition "TV 70: Francesco Vezzoli guarda la Rai" at Fondazione Prada in Milan to Carrà, titled "Fenomenologia di Raffaella Carrà," analyzing her through two 1970s programs: "Milleluci" (1974) directed by Antonello Falqui, and "Ma che sera" (1978) written by Gianni Boncompagni and Dino Verde, directed by Gino Landi. Toilet Paper magazine, founded by Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari, paid tribute on Instagram. Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini, Alberto Angela, Loredana Berté, and Renzo Arbore also offered remembrances.