Franca Pilla

Franca Pilla (or Franca Ciampi; born 18 December 1920) is a former first lady of Italy, serving during Carlo Azeglio Ciampi's presidency.

Franca Pilla
Pilla in 2001
Companion of the President of Italy
In role 18 May 1999 – 15 May 2006
President	Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
Preceded by	Marianna Scalfaro
Succeeded by	Clio Maria Bittoni
Personal details
Born	(1920-12-18) 18 December 1920 (age 104) Reggio Emilia, Kingdom of Italy
Spouse	Carlo Azeglio Ciampi ​ ​ (m. 1946; died 2016)​
Children	2
Residence(s)	Rome, Lazio, Italy

Biography

Pilla was born in Reggio Emilia on 18 December 1920.^[1] At the age of 18, she met her future husband, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. They met at a "dancing tea" which at the time was a respectable way for youth to meet. The tea was organised by mothers, and boys and girls would be allowed to practise dancing with each other.^[2]

After World War II, in which Ciampi had been a soldier and then a resistance fighter, they had a year's engagement and then married in Bologna when she was 25. They spent over seventy years together,^[1] during which time her husband was prime minister, leader of Italy's central bank, minister of finance, and later president.^[3]

During a tour of Naples, in the south of Italy, she was quoted as saying that the Italians in the south were better and more intelligent.^[1] She was known for her openness, giving the pope advice when they met. She encouraged people to read and to ignore the TV.^[1]

Pilla and Ciampi were married until his death on 16 September 2016.^[3]