Sanremo’s spotlight turned away from the singers for a moment when 105‑year‑old Gianna Pratesi took the stage and spoke with the clarity and dignity of someone who has witnessed a century of change. Her presence was not only a poignant nod to Italy’s history — she cast her vote for the Republic in 1946 — but also a simple, powerful message to younger generations: be kinder to each other, and to yourselves.
A living link to a pivotal moment
When Pratesi recounted the events of 2 June 1946, she did so with lucid memory and calm conviction. She explained that her family leaned left politically and that, at the time, choosing the Republic felt like the right, almost obvious step. For viewers, the moment was more than nostalgia: it was a live testimony from someone who had shaped, and been shaped by, modern Italy’s most defining moments. Seeing a living participant of history remind us of the stakes, the gains and the responsibilities of civic life is a rare and humbling experience.
Not just history — a lesson in humanity
Beyond the political facts, Pratesi offered a humane, practical lesson to the young people in the audience. Her plea — «Don’t be too harsh, learn to love yourselves» — resonated because it was both modest and timeless. It’s the kind of advice that transcends politics: a call for empathy in public discourse and for gentleness in private life. In an era when public conversation is often loud and polarised, her voice from the past felt like a balm.
Why her appearance mattered at Sanremo
Sanremo is fundamentally a cultural festival, but it has long been a platform where music, society and politics intersect. Inviting Gianna Pratesi to the Ariston linked the festival to wider civic memory. The moment created a pause in the entertainment rhythm, inviting viewers to reflect on the continuity of democracy and the role of ordinary citizens in defending it. It reminded us that festivals can be spaces for collective remembrance as well as celebration.
The weight of testimony
Testimonies like Pratesi’s matter because they cut through abstraction. We read about suffrage, revolutions and referendums in textbooks; we rarely hear the cadence of the person who was there. Her account — simple, clear, unadorned — gave texture to an historical event. She did not lecture; she told. That mode of storytelling can be profoundly persuasive precisely because it trusts the listener’s intelligence and compassion.
What younger generations can take away
How the moment played on a cultural level
For many viewers, Gianna’s appearance functioned as an emotional anchor in a show full of spectacle. It was a reminder that culture and memory are interwoven: songs and performances gain depth when they are placed in conversation with lived history. The festival, for a brief minute, became a public square in which generations met and listened to one another.
Practical inspiration for everyday life
Pratesi’s message to young people — «don’t be severe; learn to love yourself» — sounds like a mantra for modern well‑being. In a world of relentless performance pressure, the reminder to practice self‑compassion, to slow down and to approach life with a measure of patience is remarkably practical. It’s an invitation to cultivate resilience not just through achievement but through gentleness and perspective.
Gianna Pratesi’s walk onto the Ariston stage was a small public act with a large human echo: a centenarian’s witness, a civic reminder, and a personal counsel rolled into one. For those who watched, it was an unexpected, moving lesson in history, humility and the quiet power of lived experience.