Others stretched their arms over a fragrant jungle of bouquets — mostly in yellow, her favorite color — so that they could caress the coffin. The floral tribute grew bigger by the hour as hundreds of fans endured Thursday’s blistering heat to pay their respects to Raffaella Carrà, the beloved television star who died on Monday. The outpouring of affection for Ms. Carrà after her death from what her family said was a long illness has few precedents in Italy. “Italians spent so many years in her company, she was like a relative, someone you’re always pleased to see,” said Mirella Cappa, a civil servant who had come with a couple of friends to City Hall. She was a simple woman, added a colleague, Renata Calenda, “never a diva.”

Source: New York Times July 08, 2021 18:56 UTC