Franca Valeri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Franca Valeri OMRI
Born	Alma Franca Maria Norsa (1920-07-31)31 July 1920 Milan, Italy
Died	9 August 2020(2020-08-09) (aged 100) Rome, Italy
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1949–2014
Spouse(s)	Vittorio Caprioli ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1974)​
Partner(s)	Maurizio Rinaldi (1985–1995)
Children	Stefania Bonfadelli (adopted)

Alma Franca Maria Norsa (born July 31, 1920 – died August 9, 2020), known professionally as Franca Valeri, was a famous Italian actress. She was also a playwright (someone who writes plays), a screenwriter (someone who writes movie scripts), an author, and a theatre director. She was honored with the OMRI.

Life and Career

Franca Valeri was born in Milan, Italy. Her birth name was Alma Franca Maria Norsa. During World War II, she and her non-Jewish mother survived the Holocaust in Milan. They used a fake ID that said she was the daughter of a man from Pavia. Her Jewish father and brother were able to escape to Switzerland.

Franca's father did not want her to become an actress. So, in the 1950s, she chose the stage name Valeri. A friend suggested it after reading a book by the French writer Paul Valéry.

Starting Her Career

Valeri began her acting career on stage in 1947. In 1949, she helped start a theater group called Teatro dei Gobbi. She founded it with Luciano Salce and her future husband, Vittorio Caprioli.

She also became very popular on the radio. She created and played funny characters like La signorina Snob (Mrs. Snob), Cesira la manicure, and Sora Cecioni.

Film and Television Work

Franca Valeri starred in many films. Some of her well-known movies include A Hero of Our Times (1955) and The Sign of Venus (1955). She even helped write the story and script for The Sign of Venus. She often wrote her own lines in the movies she acted in, even for small roles. One special film she co-wrote was Parigi o cara (1962). In this movie, the story was mostly about her character.

From the 1960s to the 1980s, Valeri also worked a lot on Italian TV. She appeared in popular shows like Studio Uno and Sabato Sera.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, she was in many commercials for Pandoro Melegatti, a traditional Italian Christmas cake. These commercials were very popular and ran for several years.

Later Years and Awards

In the 2005–2006 theater season, Franca Valeri performed her own play, La Vedova di Socrate ("Socrate's Widow"). She also acted in Les Bonnes by Jean Genet. In January 2008, she played the role of Solange in Les Bonnes at Milan's Piccolo Teatro.

On May 8, 2020, Franca Valeri received an Honorary David di Donatello Award. This is a very important film award in Italy.

Franca Valeri celebrated her 100th birthday on July 31, 2020. She passed away nine days later, on August 9, 2020.

Filmography

Actress

Cinema Roles

Television Roles

Screenwriter

Images for kids

• 

  Franca Valeri in 2011.

See also

In Spanish: Franca Valeri para niños