Friends and familiar faces, the collective tribute to Pippo at the funeral chapel at the Teatro delle Vittorie

Many, many red roses. In the cushion above the coffin, in the four bouquets placed on four ivory pedestals, in the wreaths placed by RAI and other institutions. Flowers the same color as the curtain behind the coffin of Pippo Baudo, who passed away on Saturday in prime time at the age of 89. This is the visual impact of the funeral chapel of a presenter who hosted a record 13 Sanremo Music Festivals and, more generally, changed the face of television in Italy. Passing through this final stage set for him, in addition to fans and family, were countless figures from the entertainment world, all touched by his cultural legacy in one way or another. A truly collective tribute, which lasted until 8:00 PM tonight and will be repeated tomorrow from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM before the body is moved to Militello in Val di Catania, where the funeral is scheduled for Wednesday.

The first to arrive were Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, lawyer Giorgio Assumma, Gigi Marzullo, and Gloria Guida. Then came Baudo's ex-wife, Katia Ricciarelli, and Mara Venier, who entered arm in arm and sat in the family area. Their emotion was evident in their embraces: first with RAI Director General Roberto Sergio, then with Baudo's daughter and assistant. Then Ricciarelli emerged with teary eyes and one of her many roses between her fingers. Thus, there was a constant coming and going of emotional faces, from Eros Ramazzotti to Max Giusti to Fabrizio Moro, including the Jalisses and Lino Banfi. The latter recalled, half seriously and half jokingly: "We always joked about the fact that we were the Four Bs of '36. Banfi, Baudo, Bergoglio, and Berlusconi. Alas," he sighed, "I'm the only one left."

But above all, there were many who owed something to the historic presenter. "He believed in me so much, even I didn't believe in myself as much as he did at the beginning," confessed Giorgia, who arrived at the theater hand in hand with Gianni Morandi and left the chapel after crying in the arms of Dina, Baudo's longtime collaborator. "If Pippo hadn't been there in '93, and then in '94, '95, and even in the other years for a simple piece of advice, I certainly would have taken a different path." Like her, Morandi, who recited the Ave Maria inside the theater. "He helped me in difficult times," said the Bolognese artist, like when "in the '80s I had kind of disappeared from the scene and he called me." Among the memories dredged up by Pausini, who arrived with a bouquet of white roses along with Paola Cortellesi and Riccardo Milani, were the advice he received. Like when he told her: "Remember, Laura, you have to sing eternal songs, don't just settle for singing." But that's not all. "It really encouraged me not to let the responsibility of this job consume me and to forget about my private life," she said. "True life advice."

Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli and RAI executives also arrived in the Prati district. CEO Giampaolo Rossi said that the decision on the proposal to name the Teatro delle Vittorie (made by Banfi) after Baudo will be made "by the RAI board of directors," an "evaluation we will certainly make." Rosario Fiorello jokingly chimed in: "Let's put a statue on Viale Mazzini, where the horse is." Meanwhile, the only certainty is that the main dressing room at the Ariston Theatre will be named after him. "It will be an honor to enter there," said Carlo Conti, but as for the possibility of an award in his honor, "it's too early to talk about it." However, "we've remembered him every year," he reiterated, "so imagine this time, when it will be the first festival without Pippo." And when asked if he feels like his heir, he replied: "No, there are no heirs, it's impossible to be one."