Luisa De Filippo (I)

Short Biography

Luisa was founded by Luke and Concetta terms, a modest pair of Neapolitan coal traders, who also have two daughters, Rose and Anna. His aunt Rosa, the sister of his father, is the wife of a great actor and playwright Eduardo Scarpetta. Eduardo and Rosa have a son, Vincenzo, in addition to other sons: Domenico (recognized by Scarpetta but born of a liaison Rosa with King Vittorio Emanuele II, and Maria was born from the actor's relationship with the music teacher Francesca Giannetti . It's definitely an "extended" family, we would say today, we still widen more when Scarpetta meets young nephew Luisa. It is a beautiful woman, sweet eyes "of calm temperament and simple feelings - will remember Peppino De Filippo - When I accostavo my mother or when was it to approach me, the most frequent thing, a subtle scent of confetti, penetrate me in brain". Luisa is 25 years less than what is officially his uncle. We do not know if Luisa suffers the charisma of a great charm and famous man, he is in love, if you accept its proximity to forget another love. Certainly it is that they will have three children: Annunziata , Eduardo and Peppino, who with his last name, De Filippo, become three extraordinary protagonists of Italian theater. The two families, that of Rosa and that of Luisa, live in Naples not far away. Luisa and her children go to live in the Chiaia district of Naples, Via Ascension in a building on the third floor. She waits every day the visit of Eduardo, at noon; Then, at the end of the day, she accompanied him to the door and looks out to greet him until the car disappears around the corner of the street. Luisa often works in the Scarpetta as a seamstress while his son Eduardo stays with her grandmother Concetta, learning from her love for cooking, and for those humble dishes but "cooked with imagination and skill" (Isabella De Filippo). At 10 years old Eduardo writes to her mother: "Dear Mama I'm writing to let you know that I'm very well the air of Rome helped me very much, I'm doing exactly care. Uncle makes me eat vegetables white meat and fish. In the morning I take milk with bread and then the aunt makes me drink fresh eggs. [...] I made a wonderful trip I remained very cheerful, but then I was a little out of sorts because you were not with me. " Louise sees her children grow in the shade of the theater; He would not want to, but it is difficult, almost impossible to restrain them. How many times small Titina came into the bedroom and in front of large mirrored closet wore the clothes of improvising mother for her performances in the presence of his brother, Eduardo. Augusto Carloni writes: "He was wearing clothes of the mother, wore big hats with ostrich feathers, with high heel shoes while Eduardo was forced to listen and applaud." Luisa gets to snatch the first one-act plays that Eduardo, twelve years old, he writes, "urging him to think seriously about their future in urging him to embrace the electrician's career" (Isabella De Filippo). But the three brothers already tread the stage for some time among the extras in the operetta parody The geisha written by Eduardo Scarpetta, and then again at Valle in Rome in Nu Minister 'mieze' and guaie . Titina is eleven, nine Eduardo, Peppino are. At 15 Titina reads in Vincenzo Scarpetta. He writes to her mother: "I or recited twice in Nanassa is I have two paid for by Mimi just them, or had I delivered them to his uncle and he you send them to Naples, when I play I go with Maria in the stage [...] You said you were coming now and then you did not come, all right when you come we'll do the math. " Peppino, infant, had been entrusted to a wet nurse in the country and go home at five years old: puts us time to get used to the two brothers, in civic life, the mother, smiling at her to learn to love it. In 1912, De Filippo leave the house and go to live in Via dei Mille 13 in a building not far from Palazzo Scarpetta. On 29 November 1925 Eduardo Scarpetta he dies after being hit by a thrombosis in their own home by Luisa. Additional Vincenzo Scarpetta representations are suspended and funerals are solemn, the whole city of Naples stops. The children follow the coffin as well as so many writers and actors, but not the two women in his life. Rosa is not there, and neither Luisa. Eduardo will leave Luisa an annuity of 200 lire a month. But the house in Via dei Mille has become too big for her, now there is no one to chat and children are often on tour; so the leaves and moved to the sister's house in Via Monteoliveto. Then he goes to live with Titina that no one ever leaves. Luisa takes care of the little Augustus was born from the marriage of Titina with Pietro Carloni; and even during the war, remembers Marianne Carloni, the wife of Augustus, can cook delicacies with what little there is. In the thirties, at full capacity, the three De Filippo are loved by all Italy: the company is the Humorous Theater. The De Filippo . He wrote in October 1935, the Administrator Guido Argeri journalist Lucio Ridenti: "Our season Politeama to proceed at full speed; we will remain here until November 7, then we will be at Piccini in Bari and 22 November at the Quirino in Rome. Friday will go on the stage awaited Liolà with the presence of Pirandello. We have been promoting mornings offered free to our soldiers departing for East Africa, starting from next week. " And Federico Fellini remembered an April 21 maybe '37: "I remember him because the city was invaded by fascist ceremonies: [...] wherever there clashed with the enhanced junk and raving fascist parties. The afternoon of that day I went to Argentina, and I saw for the first time De Filippo that told of another Italy, an Italy abysmally far from what was once outside the theater. " Time passes, the war enters the home and also who says he lives the consequences: many theaters were bombed, many formations have difficulty to meet. Among the few who resist they, the De Filippo. In 1943-44 Eduardo and Peppino instruct the Banco di Napoli distribution of 94, 452.25 pounds as an aid for the victims of war in the city of Rome. On 17 August 1943 the two brothers recite the Elysee and the Quirino for the victims of Naples. The disagreements that have divided a few years the three brothers seem aside. Luisa meanwhile gets sick, she's tired, but it has only 66 years, and even discreetly, is proud of his children and left their benchmark, the lowest common denominator, one that brings them together at Christmas when preparing for their lunch . He died on June 21 in the Roman house Piazza di Pietra No. 3, close to his three sons. The funeral will be held in Piazza Capranica, and is buried at the cemetery of Verano in Rome where today they rest also Eduardo and Peppino, only gripe Titina who would have wanted at his side, in Manziana, in the family chapel. If it goes well on tiptoe, quietly and softly as he had lived, the mother of the great De Filippo.