Articolo disponibile anche in: Italian
It’s useless to say it: the death of the actor, Bud Spencer, hit Italians almost as if they had lost a friend or family member. His continued presence in films for the entire family, source of laughter for children and grandparents, was something that penetrated deeply into the hearts of the people.
But many don’t know that at the base of his success, there is also… Rocca delle Macie. Let us explain: it was thanks to Italo Zingarelli, founder of the winery of Castellina in Chianti, film producer before becoming wine producer.
Sergio Zingarelli, son of Italo and current president of the Consortium of Chianti Classico Wine, tells us why Bud Spencer and Terence Hill frequented Rocca delle Macie.
“Thanks to my father Italo, Carlo Perdersoli, stage name Bud Spencer, was close to our family. In fact, my father launched the couple Bud Spencer (burly and ingenuous “Bambino”) and Terence Hill in the 1970’s, with a film that became a classic of Italian movies, “Lo Chiamavano Trinita’”, followed by “Continuavano a chiamarlo Trinita’” (“They Called Him Trinity” and “They continued calling him Trinity”). The latter was one of the biggest commercial successes in the history of Italian film”.
What are our memories? How was the “private” Bud Spencer?
“Carlo had a degree in Law, and the desire to see a more just world was always with him. Even the characters who he interpreted, although a little rough and messy, communicated this wish. It was an expression of his soul, probably the reason he entered everybody’s heart and remained there. He was like he appeared in the movies; always ready to smile, even if his girth could be scary. All you had to do was listen to him for a moment to realize who was standing in front of you. He was always ready to laugh and fool around. In those years, we saw him often, on the set and in the winery. I remember him as a good man, available and protective”.
At the table was he the same as in the movies?
“Perhaps not as explicit as in the movies, but he had a “happy rapport” with food, as did my father. Both of them, in addition to looking a lot like each other, had a grand passion for good food and, obviously, good wine. They remained friends fo a long time, and Carlo visited my father here at Rocca delle Macie, in Castellina, where the “table” was always a great companion. They had a lot of fun together and shared a lot of great big meals. But not only beans… at the dinner table they were both demanding and gourmet”.
Did they keep in touch in the years to follow? Did Bud ever return to Rocca delle Macie?
“Contact continued for many years, also thanks to my sister Sandra who, living in Rome, continued to take care of the cinematographic aspect of our family and was thus a link with Caro’s son. But with Carlo, the rapport was something more. We were united during the grand adventure of Western movies, tied by many ideals, especially those he shared with my father; feelings so deep to go beyond the concept of friendship. For this, he is and will alway be in our hearts”.
Matteo Pucci