Lucia Zagaria, 85, wife of Lino Banfi, has died. The woman had suffered from Alzheimer’s for a long time. This was announced by her daughter Rosanna with a lengthy Instagram post in which she shared a young black and white photo of her mother on social media: “Hello mommy, now you are like that again. Bon Voyage”. Lucia Zagaria was married to the Apulian actor since 1962 and their marriage produced two children, Rosanna and Walter. Lino Banfi was always close to his wife throughout the period of illness and in an interview he had narrated. “Lucia used to create a little more confusion and say to me, ‘Oh God, we’re all going to die’? I love this woman so much that I said to her, ‘Lucia, look, most of the people who die are men , so don’t worry, it’s your turn for the women”».
The meeting
The Apulian actor and Lucia Zagaria had met in Canosa di Puglia in 1952: she was 13 years old, a hairdresser and he, 15 years old, was an aspiring actor. Lino was about to move to Milan to fulfill his dream and during that long period in Puglia they had written to Lucia on and off: the couple had always kept in touch. Then, after ten years of engagement, they married in 1962.
Banfi’s letter to Pope Francis
Banfi had written a letter to Pope Francis: “I asked the Holy Father exactly what you asked me. I told him about your desire to go out together while holding hands like we always did in our lives.” A difficult request even for the Pope, but he replied to Banfi: “The Pope told me that even if you and I could not live without each other, he has no power to make us go, he will pray for us.”
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