The world of cinema was in mourning Saturday after Italian film and opera legend Franco Zeffirelli, feted for his lavish productions, died at home in Rome aged 96. The Oscar-nominated director of movies and operas "died serenely after a long illness, which had worsened these last months," Italian media said, citing family members.
"I never wanted this day to come. Franco Zeffirelli departed this morning. One of the greatest men in the world of culture. We join in the grief of his loved ones. Goodbye, dear Master, Florence will never forget you," tweeted Dario Nardella, mayor of the Tuscan city where ZeffirelliZeffirelli was born. "Deep emotion over the death of the master Franco Zeffirelli," tweeted Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte after Zeffirelli died in the presence of adopted sons Pippo and Luciano along with a doctor and a priest.
Afflicted by pneumonia for some time, Zeffirelli received the last rites last week, media reports said. He also borrowed from Shakespeare for adaptations of "Hamlet" in 1992 with Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, and "The Taming of the Shrew" in 1967 with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
Over and above his film work, he directed more than 30 plays and operas. Born the son of a merchant on February 12, 1923, Zeffirelli was unable to take the name of either of his parents, both of whom were married to other people.
His mother gave him the surname "Zeffiretti' which means "little breeze" but, the story goes, it was misspelt on his birth certificate. Zeffirelli received an honorary knighthood from Britain in 2004 for his "valuable services to British performing arts".
The Zeffirelli Foundation offered a simple and affectionate "Ciao Maestro" on its website home page while leading Italian operas from Milan to Venice also paid tribute. A date and setting for the funeral has yet to be announced .Internationally, he is best known for having directed the 1968 film version of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.
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