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An enduring legend of Italian cinema, Gina Lollobrigida has died at the age of 95, prompting fans to highlight some of their favourite moments of hers – including her “camptastic” performance dancing the Tarantella as Francesca Gioberti in 1980s soap opera Falcon Crest.
She played Francesca Anna-Maria Gioberti, an embattled vineyard owner who surprises Angela Channing by coming to Falcon Crest for assistance.
And, viewers may remember, dancing the Tarantella.
The BBC describes Lollobrigida’s life story as “colourful,” and not without reason. It drew to a close on January 16, 2023, at a clinic in Rome. But not before Lollobrigida earned her place in history.
Who did Gina Lollobrigida play in Falcon Crest?
Her character’s name is Francesca Gioberti. She’s Angela Channing’s Italian half-sister, who comes to California to claim a share of Falcon Crest.
Falcon Crest Winery is a fictional Tuscany Valley winery outside San Francisco, near the west coast of the US.
Lollobrigida’s character makes the journey from Italy to California because her own vineyards have fallen on hard times.
And, presenting evidence that she is in fact Angela’s half-sister, she proves her entitlement to one third of Falcon Crest. Jasper, first son of Falcon Crest founder Giuseppe (“Joseph”) Gioberti, has just died.
What’s so notable about her performance?
Fans of Gina Lollobrigida’s have variously described her performance as Francesca Gioberti in Falcon Crest as “camptastic,” “high camp” and a “favorite.”
One Twitter user who apparently used to watch the show described the most “dated” thing about it as – not “even Gina Lollobrigida” – the fact that it was a “top hit” that aired on Friday nights at 10pm.
The inference is, of course, that Lollobrigida’s part, or the energy she brought to it, was dated. Although that doesn’t appear to be a criticism, as such.
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But perhaps her most iconic and memorable scene was the one in which Francesca Gioberti dances the Tarantella, a southern Italian folk dance. The style originated in the regions of Calabria, Campania and Puglia.
Falcon Crest wasn’t the first time Gina Lollobrigida danced the Tarantella onscreen
Three decades before her “camptastic” scene in Falcon Crest, Gina Lollobrigida danced the Tarantella in 1954 Italian rom-com Bread, Love And Jealousy.
In the US, it came out under the name Frisky. It starred Lollobrigida opposite Vittorio De Sica.
Frisky was the second in a three-part series. The first was Bread, Love And Dreams; the third was Scandal In Sorrento.
Parisian dance conservatory Sudanzare shared a clip from the movie on YouTube in 2020. It shows Lollobrigida dancing the Tarantella on a large wooden stage. Watch the clip below.
How many episodes was she in?
Gina Lollobrigida appeared in five episodes of Falcon Crest in 1984, according to IMDB.
It came relatively late in her acting career. As the BBC notes in its report on her death, Lollobrigida’s career “faded” in the 1960s; Falcon Crest didn’t come along until the early 1980s.
Her longtime rival Sophia Loren reportedly said she was “very shocked and saddened” by her death, however. Lollobrigida was well loved.
Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano tweeted, per the BBC: “Farewell to a diva of the silver screen, protagonist of more than half a century of Italian cinema history. Her charm will remain eternal.”
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