Life
Born November 2nd 1906 into an ancient aristocratic family in Milan, as one of seven offspring of the Grand Duke of Modrone and his wife Carla (nee Erba, heiress to Erba Pharmaceuticals,) was a son, baptized as Count don Luchino Visconti di Modrone, In his early years he was exposed to art, music and theatre, and met the composer Giacomo Puccini, the conductor Arturo Toscanini and the writer Gabriele d'Annunzio.
During World War II Visconti joined the Italian Communist Party.
Visconti made no secret of his homosexuality. His last partner was the Austrian actor Helmut Berger, who played Martin in Visconti's film The Damned. Berger also appeared in Visconti's Ludwig in 1972 and Conversation Piece in 1974 along with Burt Lancaster. Other lovers included Franco Zeffirelli, who also worked as part of the crew in production design, as assistant director, and other roles in a number of Visconti's films and theatrical productions.
He died in Rome of a stroke at age 69. There is a museum dedicated to the director's work in Ischia.
Read more about this topic: Luchino Visconti
Famous quotes containing the word life:
“I notice well that one stray step from the habitual path leads irresistibly into a new direction. Life moves forward, it never reverses its course.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)
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By what was done and wrought
In season, and so brought
To light: her measures are, how well
Each syllab’e answered, and was formed how fair;
These make the lines of life, and that’s her air.”
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