Emerging from the wake of Pippo Baudo at Rome’s Teatro delle Vittorie, showman Fiorello shared heartfelt memories of the late television legend. “For us Sicilians, hailing from the same region as Baudo has always been a point of pride,” Fiorello reflected. “We grew up watching him on local broadcasters like Antenna Sicilia—his Sicilian Song Festival commanded a 100% audience share.”
When asked if he felt burdened by Baudo’s legacy, Fiorello responded emphatically: “Not me. Whatever has been said about Pippo, or whatever I could add—he was always *more*. He wasn’t just the host of 13 Sanremo festivals; he wrote pivotal chapters in television history. No single adjective can capture his significance to Italian TV, especially to RAI, which owes him so much.”
Addressing proposals to erect a statue in Baudo’s honor, Fiorello quipped: “I heard they want one in Sanremo. It should stand at Viale Mazzini [RAI headquarters], right by the horse statue. Baudo carved an immense path we all followed.”
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Key Translation Choices & Journalistic Adjustments:**
1. **Conciseness & Flow:** Combined related clauses for readability (e.g., “un vanto, un orgoglio” → “a point of pride”; integrated festival viewership context smoothly).
2. **Cultural Context:** Clarified “antenna Sicilia” as “local broadcasters like Antenna Sicilia” and “viale Mazzini” as “[RAI headquarters]” for international readers.
3. **Tone:** Maintained Fiorello’s reverence (“pivotal chapters,” “no single adjective can capture”) and his lighthearted quip about the statue location.
4. **Active Voice:** “Fiorello shared,” “he responded emphatically,” “addressing proposals.”
5. **Structure:** Led with the newsworthy scene (exiting the wake), followed by poignant quotes, and closed with the statue remark—a natural narrative arc.
6. **Formality:** Used standard journalistic terms (“showman,” “legend,” “emphatically,” “erect a statue”) while preserving the speaker’s voice.
7. **Attribution:** Clearly signaled quotes and contextualized the setting upfront.